Down Once More
by pulldownthedawn
Summary: In which Sarah learns that "the way forward is sometimes the way back," the Goblin King learns that "it may not be fair, but that's the way it is," and Ellie learns that "goblins are very good kissers." ...wait, WHAT!
1. Goin' Down, Down, Down

**Down Once More**

_Disclaimer: I do not own _Labyrinth _nor the song "Down the Open Road" by Meg&Dia_ _in any way, shape, or form._

***IMPORTANT* Author's Note:** For those of you who have been following this story for a while and have just received a slew of alerts, you may be very upset to find that I have added only one new chapter, and just revised versions of the old ones. First, I would like to apologize that I haven't touched this story in months (my life got crazy, what can I say?). Second, I want you to know that I am adding some new features to the story that weren't there before since I've done some extra research and finally figured out where I want this story to go. This means that you'll probably have to re-read the revisions of the old chapters in order to keep up with the story in the future. I know that that is a terrible bother and if you don't want to do it, I can't make you, but you may be lost in the future. I promise that they are BIG edits though (for the most part anyway) so you won't feel like you're completely wasting your time.

Also, I would **really, really **appreciate some feedback on the characters (Are they interesting? Do they have enough depth? Are they OOC at all? Are any of them turning into Mary-Sues? I have nightmares about Mary-Sues...*shudders*). PLEASE LET ME KNOW! Thanks & enjoy :)

Chapter One: Goin' Down, Down, Down

A gentle melody rode atop the back of the wind outside the window. A soft yellow light shone from behind the slightly raised glass and lit up a small patch of grass on the lawn. It was the only light emitted from the large white house. On the other side of the glass was a young girl's bedroom. This room had undergone many new changes in the past few years. Photographs now lined the walls instead of posters of musicals, magazines littered the floor where books had once been, and make-up and clothing had conquered the places of toys. On the carpeted floor of the bedroom sat the young girl and another girl her age. The young girl was a pale brunette with emerald eyes that danced with an inner fire. These eyes were focused intently on her foot, the nails of which she was painting a deep red.

The other girl had dark red hair and a round face, lightly kissed with freckles across her cheeks and nose. Her eyes were a playful light brown and were cast downward on a guitar that rested in her lap. Her left hand slid up and down the neck of the guitar while her right strummed away at the strings with a green pick.

"_He said, 'You can't stay here__, it's best to keep movin','_" she sang, her voice dancing lightly upon the music. "_'This town is haunted, this place is jaded. It's goin' down, down, down, down, down__.'_"

She abruptly let go of the guitar's strings and lifted her head to look at the brunette.

"This is it, Sarah!" she cried happily and set down the instrument on the floor beside her.

"What?" Sarah asked, looking up at her friend in confusion.

"I'm going to sing this song for the open mic night at the Coffee Corner next weekend."

"Really? I thought you liked the other one." Sarah finished painting her smallest toe and then put away the tiny bottle of polish.

"Which other one?"

"You know...one of the millions of other angsty pop songs that you know how to play." Sarah grinned. The response was a pillow to her face. She laughed and pushed away the hair that had fallen into her face.

"I'm sorry, Ellie, but you know I can't stand that stuff."

Ellie stood up and walked over to Sarah's stereo. "Of course you don't," she said while removing a CD from inside the player. "You prefer this soulful, heartfelt rock." She held the CD to her chest dramatically.

Sarah laughed. "Be careful! You'll scratch it."

Ellie returned the CD to the stereo and wandered over to the closet. She opened the door and began looking through the clothing inside.

"We should dress up," she said, pulling out a silky green dress and holding it against her body.

"And do what?" Sarah asked, excited about the idea.

Ellie slowly turned to look at Sarah, a wicked grin on her face. "Invite some boys over."

Sarah's smile fell; she'd secretly been hoping that Ellie would want to re-enact a scene from a play or create their own adventure. _That's child's play, Sarah, _she reminded herself. _You're eighteen years old __now._

"Come on, Sarah! It'll be fun!" Ellie interrupted her thoughts.

Sarah stood up, shaking her head. "We can't. We're supposed to be watching Toby."

"He's already in bed! Your parents won't be home until at least two and it's only eight thirty. We can have a small party and clean up well before they come home." Ellie stepped closer to Sarah. "Besides, I saw Max Hughes staring at you in Physics the last few weeks of school. I'm sure he'd love to come over. He's cute and really nice."

"Nice?" Sarah raised an eyebrow. "Is that what you would call a guy who consistently pushed the more intelligent members of our class into lockers?"

"Fine. We don't have to invite Max. But seriously, let's have a party!" Ellie did a silly little dance.

_Sure. Let me just call up my friends from the Underground through my vanity mirror and we'll get this party started, _Sarah thought with a smirk.

"No, Ellie." Sarah walked over to her dresser and pulled out a blue nightgown. "I can't risk it. And besides, I'm really tired."

"It's eight-thirty!" Ellie cried, emphatically pointing to the clock on Sarah's bedside table.

"I know." Sarah faked a yawn. "But we were up pretty late last night." She exited the room.

"You old lady!" Ellie shouted after her with a smile. She loved Sarah—they had been best friends since Ellie had moved here during Sophomore year—but sometimes she felt that Sarah was hiding things from her. She would sometimes hear Sarah conversing with someone in a room, but whenever Ellie walked in, Sarah would just be looking at her own reflection in a mirror. She hadn't done that for a while now, but there were still other things that Ellie noticed, like Sarah's rejection of any advances from the opposite sex. Whenever Ellie would later question her about it, she would defend herself as if she were already going out with someone. And then there was that incident a few weeks ago when they had been walking around the neighborhood at night. A white owl landed on a nearby tree...

_"What do you want?" Sarah asked the owl, accusingly. _

_The owl simply blinked._

_"Don't pretend that you don't know me! What? Still upset that I beat you at your own game?"_

_"Sarah!" Ellie shouted. "What the hell are you talking about?"_

_Sarah looked over at her friend, seeming to be surprised that the red haired girl was even there._

_"Oh! Sorry. It's nothing. Let's just keep walking."_

Ellie shook her head and sighed; whatever was going on inside that girl's head was a complete and utter mystery to her. She turned back to the closet. Realizing that she had been through everything that was hanging up, she turned her gaze up to the shelves above. She spotted a purple sweater that she wanted to try on, so she stood on tip-toe and reached up to pull the sweater down. Her fingers clasped the soft violet material and yanked downward. The sweater came down...along with a large box. Ellie jumped out of the way just in time to avoid a collision between the box and her head.

The contents of the box were now scattered on the carpet. Ellie silently thanked God that the Williams' had decided not to put hardwood flooring in the bedrooms. She carefully knelt down and turned over the box. She quickly put in a small, worn book, a sparkly glass paperweight of some kind, a folded up poster, and...

"What do we have here?" Ellie smirked.

…

Sarah gently shut the door to the bathroom. With her back leaning against the door she slid down to the floor.

_Why does she keep pushing the boy issue? _Sarah frowned. _D__oesn't she know that I'm..._

"_What _are you, Sarah?" she asked herself aloud. "A mess"was the response. _If I could just stop those dreams..._

The dreams hadn't been so bad at first; she just relived the events of her time in the Labyrinth. However, as she got older, they became more intense. Suddenly she wasn't just fighting to get Toby back, she was fighting for both their lives. And no longer were her friends there to help her, she was left alone, at the mercy of the Labyrinth. However, mercy was a foreign concept to the winding stone walls; she was nearly drowned, burned alive, decapitated, even eaten. And then there was the Goblin King.

Though he was still frightening in her dreams, his role shifted from villain to love interest. She began imagining his hands roaming across her body, his tongue exploring her mouth, and his...

"Enough!" She splashed herself with cold water.

She quickly changed into her blue nightgown. It was a hot summer night so the dress was short and had spaghetti straps that allowed cool air to wrap itself around her overheated skin.

She turned off the light and made her way back to her bedroom.

…

Ellie jumped at the sound of footsteps, dropping a red leather-bound book on the carpet. She looked over her shoulder to see Sarah standing in the doorway.

"Hey, Sarah?" Ellie asked softly.

"Yeah?" Sarah grabbed a hair tie off her vanity and began to put her hair up.

Ellie slowly rose to her feet, casually holding something behind her back. Sarah didn't notice and continued to focus on putting her hair up.

"Would you mind telling me..." Ellie pulled the object out from behind her back. "...who this sexy beast is?"

She handed the tiny statue to Sarah with a giggle. When Sarah did not join in on the laugh, Ellie stopped. After a brief silence, she spun away dramatically from her friend and danced gracefully over to the bed where she laid down.

"He wouldn't happen to be the Goblin King, would he?" Ellie turned her head to look at Sarah.

"Where did you get this?" Sarah's voice came out quiet and broke on the final word.

"In a box that nearly cracked open my head. You should be careful about where you put things like that."

Sarah did not reply, she simply continued to stare at the figure in her hands. The silence made Ellie uncomfortable so she began to whistle. It was a tune that Sarah was all too familiar with, a tune that he...

"Stop it, Eliana!" Sarah shouted and leaped up from her seat at the vanity, knocking over the chair.

"What's wrong?" Ellie sat up, now concerned; Sarah only used her full name when she was really upset.

"Nothing," Sarah said quickly. "Noth...let's just put this stuff away, okay?"

"Okay." Ellie nodded and moved to help Sarah pick up the rest of the things that had fallen out of the box. "I'm sorry, Sarah. I didn't know..."

"It's okay," Sarah sighed. "I should be the one apologizing. I'm just overreacting. I've been...having these weird dreams about this stuff..."

"Really?" Ellie's eyes widened. "Would any of them involve him?" She held up the Goblin King statue. Sarah snatched it away from her.

"No!" Sarah cried defensively.

"Sure..." Ellie dragged the word out teasingly, then shrugged her shoulders. "Well, I'm pretty sure that mine will tonight. I just flipped through that little book," she pointed to the worn copy of _Labyrinth_ in the box. "It's pretty _steamy_ for a children's novel, don't you think?"

Sarah ignored her and closed the box. She stood up and quickly put it back up on the shelf in the closet.

"Have you ever tried calling him?" Ellie spread out on the floor.

"Of course not." Sarah shook her head. "That would've been silly."

"I know. But who knows? Maybe it works."

"Logic would say otherwise." Sarah's hands began to shake. She walked over to her bed and sat down. "Let's just go to bed, okay? I'm really beat."

"Fine." Ellie changed into her pajamas—a pair of white polka dotted short-shorts with a black background and a black tank top—while Sarah settled under the sheets of her bed. After she had unrolled her sleeping bag beside Sarah's bed, she turned out the lights.

"Goodnight, Sarah," Ellie said, crawling into her sleeping bag. "Remember, I'm right here. If those dreams start bothering you, just yell out for me and I promise to come running...even if I'm resting comfortably in the arms of Johnny Depp."

Sarah couldn't help but laugh at that. "You'd better. Thank you, Ellie. I'm sorry I acted so crazy. I'm just a little stressed. We're going to be heading off to college soon, you know? It's scary."

"It's okay, I totally get it. I have little heart attacks every time I think about leaving this place. It's become more of a home to me than any other place I've lived."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

There was a silence as the girls fell into their own thoughts. A slight breeze blew through the room and ruffled a few loose papers that rested on Sarah's desk.

"Sarah?"

"Yeah, Ellie?"

"You're my best friend. Remember that, okay? Even when you're off meeting all those cool new college people."

"Of course I'll remember you. We'll still stay in contact, right? And see each other during vacations?"

"Of course!"

They shared a yawn and giggled over it.

"Night, Sarah."

"Goodnight, Ellie."

…

Ten o'clock came around and the clock in the hall chimed out a quiet melody. The sound was enough to wake the lightly sleeping Ellie. She'd just barely managed to drift into the beginning haze of a dream when the clock's song had rung through her head. She sat up and peeked up over the edge of the bed. Sarah was definitely asleep, but she kept twitching and murmuring things too soft for Ellie to hear.

Ellie debated whether or not to wake her when she heard a faint cry coming from another region of the house.

"Hold on, Toby," she whispered. She pulled herself to her feet and grabbed her fluffy white slippers before heading out of the room.

Careful not to run into anything in the dark, Ellie crept down the hall in the direction of Toby's room. She gently pushed his door open and stepped inside the moonlit room.

"Toby?" she whispered.

She received a sniff in response. She walked over to the little boy's bed. He was sitting up, the moonlight reflecting off his tears.

"Did you have a bad dream, sweetie?" she asked him.

He nodded, thumb in mouth.

"Do you want some water?"

He shook his head.

"Do you want me to sing to you?"

He shook his head.

Ellie crossed her arms, slightly annoyed. "Well, what _do _you want, Kid?"

He took his thumb out of his mouth. "Sawah."

"Oh," Ellie smiled and nodded knowingly. "Well Sarah's sleeping right now."

"Sawah," he repeated.

Ellie was thoughtful for a moment. "You know, when I was little and I had a bad dream, my mommy would come sit by my bed and play a wishing game. I would wish for something silly and then she would wish for something silly and we would go back and forth until I wasn't afraid anymore. Do you want to play?"

Toby blinked at her before nodding.

"Alright. You make a wish."

"I wish..." A smile lit up Toby's face. "I wish that I was a duck."

Ellie giggled. "That's so silly! Okay, my turn. I wish I had a gigantic pool filled with ice cream."

Toby laughed. "I wish that I lived on the moon!"

"I wish that my dad was a giant teddy bear!"

"I wish that Sawah was a kitty!"

"I wish that the goblins would come take me away right now!" Ellie laughed, not quite certain where the words had come from. _Must have been that stupid book, _she thought.

The sound of tiny footsteps behind her made Ellie turn around. There was nothing there but she swore that she heard a faint chuckle. A crash out in the hallway made her jump up.

"Sarah?" Ellie called out. She looked back down at Toby. "Stay here."

He nodded and watched her walk out of the room. Ellie heard a door slam somewhere further down the hallway.

"Sarah is that you?" Ellie's voice cracked as she walked further down the hallway. The sound of more tiny footsteps behind her made her turn back around. This time she was certain that she heard chuckling.

"Who-whoever you are you sh-should know that my dad's a cop!" She took a fighter's stance, the way her father had taught her. Her fists shook in front of her but she tried to keep a fierce expression on her face. She backed up further down the hallway until she ran into something solid and warm. She slowly turned her head and screamed.

…

Sarah shot up in bed at the sound of the scream. Her eyes immediately moved toward Ellie's sleeping bag.

"Ellie!" Sarah cried. She grabbed her pillow to use as a weapon and ran out of her room. There, standing at the far end of the hallway were two figures. The shorter one she knew was Ellie, the other she refused to recognize.

"Well isn't this interesting?" a smooth, seductive male voice echoed down toward her.

"Who the hell are you?" Ellie squeaked out.

"I am surprised that you don't know," the man replied. "After all, you did call upon me. I am the King of the Goblins."

Ellie exhaled loudly in wonder. "Holy shit. Sarah! Sarah! You've _gotta _come see this."

Sarah slowly walked closer to the two. "Eliana, what have you done?"

Ellie turned around to face her friend. "I didn't mean to! I was just playing a wishing game with Toby and it...sort of...popped out. I didn't know it was going to work. I mean, I also wished for a giant pool of ice cream and I obviously...wait a minute." She turned back around to face the Goblin King. "I'm not the proud owner of an ice cream pool, am I? And my dad's not a teddy bear?"

The Goblin King raised an eyebrow.

"I'm going to take that as a 'no.'" She faced Sarah once more. "Anyway, you have _got _to come meet this guy. He's the guy that you've got that little doll of and have been having those weird dreams about!"

_Note to self: Kill Ellie, _Sarah thought as she buried her face in the pillow she was holding.

"Dreams?" the Goblin King asked, intrigued. He vanished from behind Ellie. Ellie looked down at the floor as a sparkly dust fell where the King had just been standing.

"What sort of dreams, Precious Thing?" His breath was warm in Sarah's ear. Sarah jumped in response and dropped her pillow. She turned to glare at him, trying desperately to not let her fear show on her face.

"Glitter?" Ellie interrupted the staring contest between the two. "Really?" She was kneeling by the pile that had just landed on the floor. "I thought you were the _Goblin_ King, not the _Fairy_ King. But hey, I don't judge."

"It's good to see you again, Sarah." The Goblin King ignored Ellie.

"I can't say that the feeling is mutual." Sarah bent down to pick up her pillow, refusing to meet his eyes.

"Wait, wait, wait! Hold up. '_Again_'? You mean you've met before?" Ellie looked expectantly at Sarah.

"We have indeed," the King smiled wickedly at Sarah. "Do you mean to tell me that you haven't told your little friend about our previous..._encounter_?"

"What do you want, Goblin King?" Sarah demanded, clenching her jaw.

"Well it would appear that your friend has wished herself away to me. It is quite an unusual situation, but I cannot argue with a wish."

"So...you're just gonna take me back with you to your kingdom?" Ellie walked up to stand beside Sarah. "Are you planning on killing me? Gonna feed me to your goblins? What's the deal here?"

The supernatural man merely chuckled.

"You can't take her," Sarah said firmly.

"Of course I can. I _must_. She made the wish and now I must fulfill it. Those are the rules. Gracious, Precious, I thought you were an expert on the Underground."

"You can't take her because I'm not going to let you," she clarified, raising her chin defiantly.

"And how exactly do you intend on stopping me?"

"I defeated you once, I can do it again."

The Goblin King laughed again, but this time it had a darker echo behind it. "Oh I don't believe you can, Sarah. You see, after you destroyed my Labyrinth I was presented with the opportunity to recreate it. It's much different than the one you remember."

"I don't need to go as far as the Labyrinth. I can defeat you right here." She held up her pillow.

"You could _try_, Precious. However, I don't believe it will do you any good. Haven't you noticed how silent your friend has been?" The Goblin King smiled triumphantly.

Sarah looked around her but there was no trace of Ellie anywhere. She turned back to the King, intent on attacking him. She raised her fist in the air and pushed it forward. It collided with nothing but air.

"Careful, Sarah," his voice came from behind her. "Would it be so wise of you to push me away before you've heard my generous offer?"

"What would that be?"

"I am willing to allow you to run the Labyrinth to save your friend."

"You call that '_generous_'?" Sarah stared at him incredulously. "Four years and you still don't seem to know the true definition of the word."

"I am not required to allow you to run the Labyrinth. You see, you did not wish Eliana away; she wished herself away. Therefore she should not be allowed a..._runner_, if you will. However, I am very interested in seeing how the heroic Sarah, Champion of the original Labyrinth, will react when faced with the perils of my new creation." He walked up so closely to Sarah that she could feel his breath on her face. She silently berated herself for finding his scent intoxicating. "Now will you accept my challenge?"

A faint cry tore Sarah's attention away from the Goblin King's mismatched eyes. She turned in the direction of Toby's room and groaned. "Oh, I wish Toby wasn't here right now."

"It is done." The King waved his hand in the air and produced a sparkling crystal orb. He tossed it in the air and it vanished along with the crying.

"What?" Sarah spun back around to stare at the Goblin King in shock. "You can't take him! I didn't say the right-"

"If you remember correctly, Precious, I am the Granter of Wishes. More specifically, the Granter of _Your _Wishes. That was indeed a _wish _and it did indeed come from you."

Sarah opened her mouth to argue but slowly closed it as she realized that he was right. She'd been paranoid about making any sort of wish ever since her trip to the Labyrinth, suspecting that the Goblin King was always listening closely, just waiting for her to slip up and bring him back into her life.

"You have a choice, Sarah. Either remain here and forget about Eliana and your brother or run the Labyrinth and fight for them."

The sting of tears rushed to Sarah's eyes. "That's not fair!"

"No, it isn't. But that's the way it is." He reached out to brush a strand of hair away from Sarah's face. "Have you forgotten everything from your first experience in the Labyrinth?"

Sarah's eyes narrowed and she turned her face away from the Goblin King's gloved fingers. "I accept your challenge. I will run the Labyrinth." A slow smile spread across her face and she looked back up at the him, a sparkle in her eyes. "And I will defeat you once more."

**Author's Note:** Well, that concludes our first chapter. What did you think? I'd like to continue this to see where it goes, but I find that posting things on the Internet that nobody reads is as pointless as a broken pencil (Ha-ha. Very funny, right?). Please review/sign up for alerts/send me a message/whatever. Just let me know that you enjoyed it and would like to see it continue. Thanks!


	2. Ravishing Eliana

Chapter Two: Ravishing Eliana

_Disclaimer: I do not own Labyrinth at all. Sadface. :(_

**Author's Note:** Just to let you all know, I did not pick the title of this chapter whatsoever. It was totally Eliana's idea.

**Eliana's Note:** Oh you know you love it. ;)

"Fuck," Ellie breathed out as she drank in her new surroundings. After being uncomfortably man-handled by a bunch of slimy little creatures in the dark, she had found herself being dragged down a long, cold hallway and then thrown into a bedroom. She'd heard a lock click into place once the door had been closed. With nothing else to do, she began looking around the room that she was in.

The walls were made of gray stone and were clothed in tapestries that displayed elaborate designs that almost seemed to be moving. Ellie shivered and turned her attention to the rest of the room. There was a large window etched into the wall opposite the door that appeared to have no glass pane. Along the wall with the window was a mahogany dresser and a matching wardrobe. Hanging above the dresser was a mirror in the shape of an oval, which was set in a shining golden frame with its own design of tiny faces set in it. There was a large rug on the floor that had a series of swirls and geometric shapes printed upon it. A large bed had been placed in the center of the room with its headboard pressed against one of the walls. It had tall mahogany posts at each corner that held up a blood red canopy. Matching curtains were tied back to the posts and would shield the bed from the rest of the room if set free.

Another shiver shook Ellie's body; her pajamas were not affording her much protection against the draftiness of the room. She crossed over to the dresser, hoping to find at least some pants to put on. Opening the top drawer she immediately spotted a red velvet robe. She pulled it out and wrapped it around herself, delighting in the feeling of the fabric flow over her skin.

"What is she _doing_?"

"What is she _wearing_?"

Ellie's eyes were drawn to the mirror, specifically the wooden frame.

"Did you...did you just...talk?" she asked the tiny faces.

"Well, how do you like that? Pretending that she didn't hear us. The nerve!" one of the faces growled.

"And all we wanted to do was help." Another pouted.

"I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm most certainly not going to help this diva. Let her dress like a slob. I don't care." With that, all the faces shut their eyes.

"But...I...what?" Ellie felt dizzy as she tried to comprehend what had just happened.

"Already managed to insult your vanity mirror, Eliana?" a familiar voice asked. "This does not bode well for the rest of your stay in the Underground."

Ellie looked over to her left and saw the Goblin King standing beside her. Now that they were in the light she could clearly see the blond color of his hair, how his dark eyes were actually mismatched, and how tight his black clothing was...especially his pants.

"What is their problem?" She looked back at the mirror.

"Ladies," Jareth spoke to the mirror, "how lovely you look today."

The faces giggled and opened their eyes. "Thank you, Your Majesty," they said in unison.

"May I ask what it is that Eliana has done to offend you?"

One of them turned her glaring eyes to the red head. "She won't listen to us."

"Oh, now why wouldn't she? You have excellent taste." Jareth looked over at Ellie with a raised eyebrow.

"All I wanted was something warm to put on." Ellie pointed to her robe. "It's freaking cold in here! I wasn't expecting to be the subject of the next episode of _What Not To Wear_. I'm sorry if I insulted you, I didn't mean to. I'm sure you have great fashion sense...for a mirror."

"What do you think, Ladies?" Jareth crossed his arms. "Do you accept her apology?"

There was a brief pause as the faces looked Ellie up and down. "Yes."

"You're too kind." Ellie smiled tightly.

"Well, I do believe that this whole event could have been avoided if you'd merely closed the window."

"What?" She looked over at the window. "But there's no pane. It's just a hole in the wall."

The Goblin King lifted his hand and flicked his wrist. Almost immediately an elaborately designed glass pane built itself up over the window. "There is now."

Ellie's eyes widened. "God, that's awesome." She looked over at Jareth. "All those times that we were told how magic and fairy tales weren't real...you prove them wrong."

Jareth smiled proudly, all but preening himself.

"How do I know I'm not dreaming all of this?" Ellie asked, looking around doubtfully. "I mean, I make a wish and suddenly I'm standing in a castle, locked in a room with a gorgeous man in tight pants...this seems pretty familiar. Sure, you're not Orlando Bloom or James Marsden..."

"I suppose that you will simply have to trust that all this is real."

Ellie pursed her lips. "Well, what are you going to do now? Is this the part where you..." she flipped her hair and struck a dramatic pose "..._ravish me_?"

The Goblin King smirked. "I assure you, your virtue is safe here."

"This is definitely not a dream then." She dropped her pose. "At least, not one of mine. What'd you bring me here for?"

"You wished to be brought here."

"So...you're like a genie? Do I get three wishes or something?" Ellie crossed over to the bed and sat down on it. Jareth followed but remained standing.

"Sarah truly didn't inform you about the inner workings of this world, did she?" He appeared to be annoyed by her question.

"Nope." Ellie shook her head. "I only skimmed through the manual. Sorry. I didn't even know she'd been here before, I thought she'd just been an obsessed little child."

"Interesting," Jareth said, a distant look in his eyes.

Ellie waited for him to continue. When he didn't she asked, "So how did you two meet?"

Jareth continued to look thoughtful. "She wished her brother away to me."

"You just take people who get wished away—or wish themselves away, in my case—with a couple of magic words?"

"Essentially, yes. People don't often do the wishing for themselves but when they do I am required to oblige."

"But you don't just grant any wish. It has to specifically be a wish to be taken away by the goblins and said in a certain way. Right?" Ellie felt that she was finally understanding what had happened.

"Correct." Jareth nodded.

"And what do you do with the people once you've taken them?"

"It depends on the situation. If the person has been wished away, I allow the wisher to run my Labyrinth and attempt to save them."

"What happens if they don't make it through the Labyrinth?"

"So many questions," Jareth chuckled. "Wouldn't you prefer to see the rest of my castle?"

"Just one more," Ellie held up her index finger. "I wished myself away, so does that mean no one is coming to save me?"

"Would it trouble you if no one was?" Jareth crossed his arms.

"I...I don't know." Ellie furrowed her brow.

Jareth laughed at her expression. "I'll leave you to change into more appropriate attire and return within the hour to take you on a tour of the castle." With that, he vanished in a cloud of glitter.

Ellie let herself fall backward onto the bed.

_What am I supposed to do now?_

…

Sarah kicked at the ground in frustration. It had been at least an hour and she had yet to find the entrance to the Labyrinth. Instead of the desert-like climate she had experienced during her first time in the Underground, she was now in the middle of a forest with a river running through it. She dropped to her knees in front of the river and stared down into the water.

"Three days," she whispered to her reflection. The Goblin King had told her that this time she had three days to complete the Labyrinth. This both relieved and worried her; relief that she had more time, but worry because there must have been a reason behind the time extension. What had the King added to the Labyrinth that would cause her to need more time?

_It will probably take me at least two days to find the damn entrance, _Sarah thought angrily. A loud splash made Sarah jump. Suddenly, breaking up her reflection was the face of a fish with big blue eyes.

"Hello," Sarah greeted the fish.

The fish continued to stare at her.

"I'm looking for the entrance to the Labyrinth. Could you help me?"

More staring, with a slight twitch of the left eye. Sarah sighed, deciding that the fish would be of no help. She began to stand up when the sound of someone singing reached her ears. She heard the fish squeak and watched it disappear beneath the water. Shortly after, a small row boat came floating down. Inside the boat was a skeleton of a man with ghostly pale skin. He was wearing a straw hat and overalls. Over the side of the boat was the line of a fishing pole that he was holding onto.

"_La la la la. La la. La di da!_" the man sang out. The notes followed no particular melody and sounded very flat.

"Hello there!" Sarah called to the man.

The man sat up quickly, nearly tipping the boat. He looked at Sarah and narrowed his sunken eyes. "Who're you?" he demanded, his speaking voice much deeper and more raspy than his singing voice.

"I'm Sarah Williams," Sarah said politely. She followed the boat as it continued to drift down the river. "I'm trying to-"

"The Labyrinth Champion?" The man narrowed his eyes even further until they were nothing but small slits in his head.

"Yes!" she said, excited that he knew who she was.

"What're you doin' back here?" he asked. "Shouldn't ya be at home doing...whatever it is that Champions do?"

"Well, you see, my friend wished herself away to the Goblin King and-"

The man let out a laugh that was comparable to a cough. "Why would she do somethin' as stupid as that?"

"I-"

"Huh? Speak up! If ya mumble you'll never get nothin' from no one. Wanna know why? Because no one'll understand ya! That's why!" He muttered something to himself. Sarah was struggling to keep up with the boat now that the ground was covered with fallen tree branches and raised roots.

"Ya got the fare?" the man asked suddenly.

"What fare?" Sarah jumped over a small bush.

"Ach! She don't even know what the fare is! The fare to get yerself a ride to the Labyrinth. That fare."

"Um, I have..." She looked down at her bare wrists and then felt around her throat. "I have this necklace!" The necklace was gold with a small heart-shaped locket dangling from the end. There wasn't anything inside the locket, but her grandparents had given it to her as a graduation gift. Thankfully she'd forgotten to remove it before she went to bed.

"Bring it 'ere." The man held out his hand.

Sarah carefully ran to the very edge of the riverbank but the boat was still too far away. She looked up at the man but he continued to stare at her expectantly. The boat kept moving downstream. Slowly she stepped into the cold water...and screamed.

Things that felt like hands were grabbing at her legs. She struggled toward the boat, thrashing about, until she tripped and was entirely submerged in the water. The hands now had access to her arms and hair. She kicked and tried to stay afloat but they kept pulling her down. A pair of hands from above yanked her up and over the edge of the boat.

"What the feck did ya do that fer? Everyone knows not to go climbin' into the river!" the man exclaimed angrily. "The people from below'll git ya and make ya one o' them. And trust me, that's worse than bein' made one o' the Goblin King's lot."

"Y-you didn't-t st-stop the bo-oat." Sarah's body shook and caused her to stutter. Though whether the shaking was from fear or from the cold she wasn't quite sure.

"Ya didn't ask me to, ya ninny!" the man shot back. "Now, what do ya got fer me?"

With shaking hands Sarah removed the necklace from around her neck and placed it into the boney hand of the man. He carefully inspected the metal, testing it between his teeth before placing it in the pocket of his overalls.

"Alright, you're all set." The man nodded. He reached out like he was going to grab one of the oars of the boat but instead grabbed back onto his fishing pole. He made himself comfortable and then began croaking out notes the way he had before.

Sarah sighed and brought her knees up to her chest. This was going to be a long boat ride.


	3. Fish Gotta Swim

**Chapter Three: Fish Gotta Swim**

_Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I have never, nor never will, own _Labyrinth_._

"_La di da! La la la!_" the man (whose name Sarah had learned was Mot) shrieked in an off-key falsetto.

Sarah had tried everything she could think of to drown him out, but he was too loud. She rubbed her temples, trying to soothe the ongoing headache she'd had for what felt like days. Mot hit a note that made his voice crack and Sarah's head pulsed furiously.

"Why do you keep singing like that?" Sarah shouted.

Mot looked at her as if she were far below average intelligence. "It helps bring out them fishes."

"I can promise you, it doesn't," Sarah scoffed. "It scares them away if anything."

"Well if you know so much, then how would _you _bring them fishes out?"

Sarah was thoughtful for a moment. "What kind of bait are you using?"

"Bait?" Mot asked, confused.

"You're not using bait?" Sarah looked incredulous. "No wonder you're not catching any fish! You need to tempt them with something. Like a worm."

"A worm? Pfft. Fish don't like worms."

"How do you know?"

"Well I don't like eatin' worms, do you?"

"No."

"Then what makes you think that fish'll want 'em?"

"You don't _have _to tempt them with worms," Sarah clarified. "You could try..."

"What?" Mot asked eagerly. But Sarah didn't hear him, she was too entranced by the sight before her. Looming ahead was a massive stone wall with an equally giant set of wooden doors. The sky above the wall faded from the bright blue that Sarah and Mot were under into a dark charcoal color. It looked like something out of a bad horror movie but it intimidated Sarah nonetheless.

"Is this...is this the Labyrinth?" Sarah's voice came out in a whisper.

"No, it's the home of a feckin' mutated squirrel," Mot replied sarcastically. "Of course it's the Labyrinth."

"How do we get in?"

"Through the doors, ya ninny. Ya know, for a Champion, you're not too bright."

Sarah threw him a look. "I _meant_ will they just open for us or do we have to knock or-"

"Woah! Hold it right there. There will be no 'we' or 'us' goin' in there. This is as far as I go. You're on yer own." Mot grabbed the oars and steered the boat to the side of the river.

"But how do I open the doors?"

"How am I supposed to know? Best of luck to ya. Now git out o' my boat!"

Sarah let out a noise of frustration and climbed out of the boat. Mot turned the boat around and gave a little wave to Sarah before taking up an out of tune whistle and rowing the boat back the way they had come.

"Wonderful," Sarah groaned as she watched Mot disappear around a bend. "Now what are you going to do, Sarah?" She stared up at the great wall and tried to think of a way to scale it without seriously injuring herself. She looked around at the forest behind her. Perhaps she could climb one of the trees and jump from there onto the top of the wall. All she had to do was find one that was close enough.

She walked down the path between the forest and the Labyrinth, looking up at the trees. She finally came across a giant oak that had a branch that stretched right up to the wall. With a triumphant smile, Sarah made her way over to the bottom of the tree and looked for the lowest branch that she could begin her climb on. Unfortunately the lowest branch was at least a foot above Sarah's head.

_That's okay, _she thought optimistically, _I was always the best tree climber out of all the kids in the neighborhood. I can do this!_

She jumped up and latched her hands around the branch. She kicked out her legs so her feet rested on the trunk. She then attempted to swing her legs up and around the trunk but didn't get a good enough hold and they slipped. She tried again but this time her legs didn't even make it and their back swing caused her hands to slip. She felt herself falling and then colliding with something that made an "oof" noise.

Once they had landed on the ground, Sarah scrambled to her feet.

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed as she bent over the figure that had broken her fall. It was a young man, no more than twenty-three, with nearly translucent white skin and black hair that was cut in what Ellie would have called an "emo boy" style. His features were smooth and his eyes were dark pools of blue. He was wearing a long blue robe that matched his eyes.

"It's all right." His voice came out as smooth as velvet. He sat up and looked at Sarah. "Are you injured?"

"No. Thanks to you," she giggled nervously.

He smiled and held out his hand. Sarah took it into her own and helped pull him to his feet. He brushed himself off and then faced her.

"What were doing?" he asked, gesturing toward the tree.

"I was trying to climb it," Sarah replied. "I'm trying to get inside the Labyrinth."

"And you were going to accomplish that by climbing a tree...?"

"Well, I was going to climb up to that branch." She pointed above them. "And then climb across it over to the top of the wall."

"And how did you plan on getting back down on the other side?"

Sarah opened her mouth and then immediately closed it, furrowing her brow. "I don't know."

"There is an easier way, you know," he laughed.

"How?"

"By going through the door in the river."

"I saw that door but I didn't know how to open it.

"I'll help you." He held out his hand and smiled. There was something in this smile that made Sarah feel uneasy but she slipped her hand into his and nodded her head.

…

"Well, I have to say, even though you don't have a moat or a bunch of hot knights in armor, your castle is still pretty awesome," Ellie said as she and Jareth walked down a long hallway. At that moment a squawking group of chickens ran past them, followed by a couple of laughing goblins.

"Except the chickens," Ellie crossed her arms. "Not a fan of the chickens."

"Your majesty! Your majesty!" a scratchy, deep voice shouted. Down the hallway came a short, lanky goblin with a flattened football shape to his head. Grey stringy hair hung down around his face and his skin was a gray-blue.

"What is it?" Jareth demanded.

"The tiny one needs you. He keeps making this siren noise. It's like a _waaaaaAAAAAaaaaaa-"_

"Enough!" Jareth shouted, immediately silencing the goblin. "I shall go to him, but I shall be leaving Eliana in your care. I believe that she may be desiring to eat. Take her to the dining hall."

"Yes, Your Majesty." The goblin bowed.

"What 'tiny one'? Do you have a kid?" Ellie asked, confused. "Oh, wait! This is part of your 'granting wishes' job, right?"

"Yes." Jareth nodded. "While someone is running the Labyrinth for a person, they remain under my care."

"But no one is running for me, so why are you keeping me?"

"I'm...still deciding what to do with you." He smiled deviously before vanishing.

"Come with me," the goblin said gruffly.

Ellie walked beside the goblin, stuck inside her own thoughts. What was the Goblin King going to do with her? Would he keep her in the castle or send her somewhere? _I need to stay here until I can figure out how to get home. _She bit her lower lip in concentration. _I'll show him that I'm useful and then he'll keep me here! But what am I good at? ...I've been told I'm very good with my lips...no, Ellie! This is not the time for that. _She shook her head, trying to push the thoughts away. _I _have _to stay here. How else am I going to get home?_

…

"I'm Sarah, by the way," Sarah said as they neared the river.

"I know" was all the response she was given. She thought about asking the young man his name but he looked so focused that she was afraid of disturbing him. They walked in silence until they reached the river's edge. Sarah looked over at the giant wooden doors. How was he planning on getting to the door without going into the river? Sarah remembered her last adventure under the water and shivered. She turned to face the young man.

"What now?" she asked him.

A slow, malevolent smile spread across his face and parted his lips. He exposed two rows of perfectly razor-sharp teeth. Sarah screamed and he reached out his hands and pushed her backward into the river.

"Feast, my family! Feast upon this delicious, sweet, young girl!" he cried out, laughing manically. Sarah managed to see him through the chaos around her and watched in horror as the young man melted into water and fell into the river. She felt hands reaching out, wrapping themselves around her, and pulling her down below the surface of the water.

_"So full of power."_

"_A favorite of the stone walls."_

_"A champion."_

_"Mmmm."_

Sarah thrashed about and tried to shout for help but her mouth kept getting filled with water. _This is it, _Sarah thought grimly. _I'm dead. _And then...there was nothing...

**Author's Notes: - **Mot means "death" in Ugaritic. I was sort of modeling him after Charon (I tried to make him a bit more comical though), who was the boatman that carried souls down to Hades in the Underworld (Greek mythology).

– The young man that turned to water and his "family" are evil water spirits (officially called "Hantu Air") from Malayan mythology. They were said to disguise themselves as people or animals or hide in tree trunks in order to lure people into their trap. They would then either drown the people or eat them.


	4. It's Still Not Fair

**Chapter Four: It's Still Not Fair!**

_Disclaimer: No _Labyrinth_ rights for me._

**Author's Notes: **Kind reviews give me warm and fuzzy feelings :) Thank you!

Robert Williams was sound asleep in the bed that he shared with his second wife, Karen. The two had arrived home only an hour ago but it hadn't taken Robert long to change into his pajamas, crawl into bed, and fall asleep—he had been thoroughly exhausted from the party that they had attended. His snores were gentle and he twitched slightly every few minutes.

Then the scream came.

Robert shot up, immediately looking to his left for Karen. When he saw that her side of the bed was empty, he leaped out of bed and raced out of the bedroom. He ran toward the living room where the scream had come from. Karen was sitting on the couch, all of the lights turned on around her, hugging Toby's pillow.

"Karen, what's wrong?" Robert sat down beside the woman, placing a gentle hand on her back.

"They're gone!" she cried, tears staining her cheeks. "All of them."

"Are you sure? Have you checked the-"

"Of course I'm sure! I've looked everywhere! I went to go check on them before I went to bed and none of them were in their rooms. I've searched through the entire house. They're missing!" She let out a loud sob.

Robert hushed her and rubbed her back soothingly. "Maybe they just went out for a walk."

"At three in the morning?" Karen looked up at her husband incredulously. "With a five year old? Robert, they've been taken! I just know it. Call the police. Now!"

"Alright, alright. I'll call the police, but I really think that there's a simple explanation behind all of this." Robert stood and walked into the kitchen to the phone. _At least, I hope there is._

…

Though it was three in the morning in the Aboveground, it was reaching mid-morning in the Underground. However, a creature inside the Labyrinth would not have been able to tell such a thing by looking at the sky; the gray clouds revealed nothing of the time. Inhabitants of the newly rebuilt Labyrinth were forced to get clocks (which were not particularly reliable in the Underground) or rely on their bodies to tell them when it was time a for a meal, time for bed, and time to wake up. Sarah's body chose the third option: to wake up. The first thing she experienced as she was coming around was the sound of echoing whispers.

"Sawah smell diffwent," a deep, growling voice commented.

"I's noticed that too," a gruff, breathy voice responded. "She's just grown up, is all."

Deciding the best course of action would be to open her eyes to see where she was, Sarah slowly lifted her eyelids and focused her eyes.

"Oh, oh! Look! There she is," the second voice said excitedly—it sounded rather familiar to Sarah. "I told's you she wasn't dead!"

"Ludo glad," another familiar voice-the first one she'd heard-said in a rumble that came from deep within his chest.

Sarah turned her head to the right and saw a big, hairy beast and a tiny little man standing beside her.

"Hello there," she said with a large grin.

"Sawah!" Ludo cried excitedly.

"Hi, Sarah," Hoggle said almost shyly.

She slowly lifted herself to a sitting position and held out her arms. Ludo was the first one forward and he wrapped Sarah up inside his massive arms, pulling her up off the tiny cot she had been on.

"Ludo miss Sawah," Ludo said as he held Sarah tightly against his body.

"I missed you, too, Ludo," she giggled, hugging him back.

"Careful, Ludo!" Hoggle said nervously.

Ludo gently put her down on her feet and she turned to Hoggle expectantly.

"Well, where's my hug from you?" she asked, holding out her arms.

"Well...I...I mean, I's..." Hoggle stumbled over the words that were all trying to come out at once.

"Come here, you." She pulled him into her arms and hugged him.

Hoggle relaxed into her arms and wrapped his own around her. When they separated she sat back down on the cot.

"How did you two find me?" she asked, remembering her near-drowning experience.

Hoggle and Ludo exchanged a look.

"What?" Sarah's brow furrowed in confusion.

"We don't really know," Hoggle explained. "We just got a feelin' that we should go to the river. So we went. What were you doing by the river, anyways?"

"I was looking for the entrance to the Labyrinth."

"The entrance's far away from the river."

"The Goblin King left me off in the middle of a forest near the river, a few hour's distance from the Labyrinth. I met up with Mot, a fisherman...well, sort of...and he brought me down the river in his boat and left me near that giant door. I thought that _that _was the entrance."

"It's an entrance but it's not _the _entrance."

"Well I didn't know that. Mot did tell me not to go in the river, so I had made a plan to climb a tree and make my way across the wall that way but then...then a boy came along and he took me to the river."

"Damn those water spirits!" Hoggle cursed angrily. They's got no business messin' about with good folk."

"But how did you get me out of the water?"

"Ludo fought them off...y'know how he is with rocks."

"Rocks friends," Ludo stated happily. "Sawah friend."

Sarah smiled up at him. "Thank you. Both of you. You saved my life."

They both looked a bit bashful. Sarah then realized that there were two creatures missing from their happy reunion.

"Where's Sir Didymus and Ambrosius?" she asked.

Hoggle and Ludo looked at each other sadly and then back at Sarah.

"We's haven't been able to find him yet." Hoggle rubbed his hands nervously.

"What do you mean you haven't been able to 'find' him?"

"Y'see, Sarah, since Jareth decided to change the Labyrinth around, a lot of the things that live here had to change around as well. We all had to find new houses and it was even harder to get around the Labyrinth than before. I only found Ludo a few days ago."

Sarah frowned. "Why didn't you tell me that this was going on? I could have stopped him. I could have-"

Hoggle looked down at the ground. "You haven't called on us in months, Sarah. We...thought that maybe you's..." He looked up at Ludo who lowered his head.

"That I what?"

Hoggle drew in a deep breath. "We thought you didn't like us anymore."

"What?" Sarah exclaimed, standing up. "Hoggle! Ludo! I love you all very much and always will. Never, ever, _ever_ forget that!"

Neither of them looked at her. She closed her eyes and calmed herself down. She knelt down in front of them, taking each of their hands.

"You've always been on my mind. There were so many times I wanted to call on you but...my life got a little complicated. But I promise that things are going to change from now on."

Hoggle looked at her, his eyes lighting up with hope. "D'you mean...you's goin' to stay with us?"

"Sawah stay! Sawah stay!" Ludo clapped his massive paws together.

Sarah bit her lip and shook her head sadly. "I can't stay with you. I want to. Believe me, I do. But I have to go home. I'm going to call you every day though, so you'd better come running when I do." She squeezed Hoggle's hand comfortingly.

They both nodded though there was still a remnant of hurt in their eyes. Sarah's heart felt heavy seeing them like that; she decided to change the subject.

"I need your help now though." She stood up. "My friend Eliana wished herself away to the goblins-"

"Why would she do a stupid thing like that?" Hoggle interrupted.

"Ehweeana dumb." Ludo agreed.

"No, no. She didn't know that the wish was going to work. She thought it was just from some silly children's story."

"That's still not smart. Wishes is powerful things. You don't mess with 'em."

Ludo nodded.

"_Anyway_," Sarah drew out the word, "The Goblin King also took Toby, and now I have three days to get to the castle beyond the Goblin City and get them back."

"We'll help you, Sarah!" Hoggle raised a fist in the air, standing up as straight as he could.

"Ludo help!" Ludo raised a paw in the air, mimicking Hoggle's gesture.

"Thank you so much! You're the best friends I could ever-" Words failed Sarah when the two vanished before her eyes. She looked around behind her. "Hoggle? Ludo?" Her heart began to race as she anxiously scanned the room. She immediately stopped moving, realizing what had happened. She narrowed her eyes and screamed, "_Goblin King__!_"

"Hush, Precious." He appeared before her, clad in a dark blue poet's shirt and black pants. His eyes gleamed mischievously. "I'm right here."

"You bring them back right now!" She stomped up to him.

The King crossed his arms. "I knew you were many things, Sarah, but I never knew that you were a cheater."

Sarah furrowed her brow. "What are you talking about?"

"You were going to use your friends to help you through the Labyrinth."

"And...?"

He leaned in closer to her; the feeling of his warm breath upon her face sent shivers up and down her spine.

"That's against the rules, you naughty girl," he breathed.

Sarah's lids grew heavy and she focused only on his lips. He reached out and began playing with a few strands of her hair. His light touch made Sarah almost groaned in frustration; if only he would really _touch _her...

Jareth admired the blush spreading prettily across her cheeks and the heat that radiated from her body.

"Oh, you _precious _thing." He ran a finger down her jawline. Sarah slowly closed her eyes.

"Return to my castle with me," he whispered, his lips brushing against her's. "Be mine."

Sarah felt a heat pulsing from her core out through the rest of her body. She wanted so desperately to wrap her arms around his neck and kiss him deeply; to feel his arms around her waist and his lips at her neck; to mold herself to him with all of the heated passion she held inside herself. She took a small step forward and put a bit more pressure on his lips with her own.

_Toby. Ellie. Ludo. Hoggle._ The names and faces flashed through her mind and poured ice water on the heat she had been feeling. She took a step back from the Goblin King, separating their lips, and opened her eyes. The King watched her with something akin to sorrow in his expression, but was quickly hidden behind an arrogant smirk. The appearance of the smirk made her walk back a few more steps.

"No." She shook her head.

The King's straightened up until he was standing at his full height, staring down upon her intimidatingly. Sarah also stood up straighter in the hope that it would draw away from the fact that she was shaking.

"I won't e-ever belong to you, Goblin King." She clenched her hands into fists at her side. "You want to trap me here, to make me forget...but it won't work! I'm going to defeat your Labyrinth, win my friends back, and then we are going to go home and I will _never _hear from you again. I'll make certain of that." Her voice cracked at the end, but her face did not betray her.

"Still so cruel," he replied without emotion. "But then, so am I." He spun away from her.

"What do you mean?" she asked slowly, worriedly.

"I don't believe that a week in the oubliette was quite enough punishment for your friends," he said thoughtfully. "After all, they almost repeated their previous treasonous acts. I shall have to think of something much more _creative _this time."

"Don't you dare harm them!" Sarah warned.

The Goblin King leveled a malicious smile at Sarah before vanishing. Sarah threw up her hands and let out a scream of rage before collapsing upon Hoggle's cot. Drawing in a few ragged breaths, she brought her knees up to her chest and angrily wiped at the tears that began to run down her cheeks.

_It's just not fair._

_It's not, but that's the way it is._

"Shut _up_!" Sarah growled before letting out a frustrated sob and hitting the pillow under her head.

**Author's Note: **Angst! Angst! Angst! But comic relief is on its way! ...hopefully. The ending may have felt a little abrupt, but Sarah just began letting out a stream of profanities directed at Jareth (some of the things she was suggesting I didn't even think were possible...) after hitting that pillow. I decided it was best to save your innocent eyes from exposure to such language. Read&review!


	5. A Surprisingly Good Kisser

**Chapter Five: A Surprisingly Good Kisser**

_Disclaimer: I do not own Labyrinth. At all. :(_

While Jareth was busy dealing with Sarah, Ellie was formulating a plan. In order to prove how useful she could be, Ellie decided that she would take care of the child that the Goblin King had mentioned earlier. She had never actually babysat before—the idea of hanging around nose-picking, whiny kids made her ill—but she'd spent enough time with Toby, and watching Sarah deal with him, that she figured she knew enough. She believed that once the Goblin King saw how good she was with children, he'd put her in charge of taking care of the wished away children and keep her until she could figure out a way to get home.

The first step in her plan was to find out where the kid was being kept. After she had finished eating breakfast (a surprisingly delicious plate of eggs, bacon, fruit, and toast), she had asked the attending goblins to clear her things so as to get them out of the room. Once alone, Ellie quickly exited the massive dining hall and did not stop power-walking until she had rounded a corner. Luckily she ran into a goblin that she hadn't seen before. He was chubby with yellow eyes and yellow-green skin. He had been waddling his way down the hallway and was about to walk right by Ellie.

"Hey, you!" Ellie whispered at him. He stopped and looked up at her and then pointed to himself questioningly.

"Yeah, I'm talking to you." She knelt down in front of him. "Do you know where the King keeps the kids who've been wished away?"

He nodded enthusiastically.

"Awesome! Could you take me there?"

He shook his head.

"Why not?" she asked, frowning.

"Kingy tell me not to tell," he squeaked out.

Ellie pursed her lips in thought. "Well 'Kingy' has put me in charge of taking care of the latest wished away child. You don't want to go against what Kingy has ordered, do you?"

The little goblin hesitated before shaking his head.

"So you'll take me?"

The goblin shook his head and said, "Kingy no tell me that."

Ellie closed her eyes and sighed, steeling herself for what she had to do next. _It's a small bump in the road to going __home_, she thought, opening her eyes. She scooted closer to the goblin who just continued to stare blankly at her.

"That's too bad," she said smoothly, "because I was really looking forward to walking with you. You know, you're the most handsome goblin I've seen here." She pouted her lips slightly. The goblin revealed no emotion. She rolled her eyes before grabbing the goblin, lifting him up, and kissing him right on his slimy, bumpy green lips. She held him like that for a few seconds before pulling away and setting him back down again. The goblin stumbled around in a circle as if he'd had too much to drink.

"Will you take me _now_?" Ellie crossed her arms.

The goblin looked up at her, winked and then nodded. He set off down the hallway, dizzily marching forward in a zig-zag pattern. Ellie wiped her lips with the back of her hand and shivered in disgust. She followed after the goblin.

After what seemed like ages of wandering down endless hallways, the goblin stopped in front of a dark wooden door. He pulled a key out of his tiny pouch and held it up to Ellie. She took it and unlocked the door. After handing it back to the goblin, she carefully opened the door and peeked inside. Seeing no one there, she began to walk inside...until she head the scuffling of tiny feet behind her. She turned around and looked down at the goblin.

"Why don't you stand guard outside?" Ellie suggested, pushing the goblin out the door before he could respond. She pushed the door closed and it shut with a heavy _thud_. She spun around to survey the room. It was similar to hers in that it had tapestries on the walls, mahogany furniture, a fireplace, and a small window. However, in the place where the bed stood in her room, there was a large crib. A cry erupted from inside the crib and echoed through the room. Ellie walked over to the crib.

"There, there," she cooed. "It's all-" Her body froze as she locked eyes with the child.

"Ehwee!" Toby cried, standing up and holding out his hands. Ellie quickly pulled him out of the crib and held him to her in a hug. His tiny arms wrapped themselves around her neck.

"Hey, Little Buddy." She rubbed his back comfortingly. "What are you doing here?"

At that moment Ellie heard muffled voices coming from outside the door. She walked to the center of the room just as the Goblin King came storming in. He held the little goblin in one hand.

"You have no business being in here," he growled.

Ellie began to shake under the heat of his gaze. She refused to allow her face to betray her though and narrowed her eyes to keep them from widening.

"What are you doing with Toby?" she asked, holding the little boy tightly in her arms.

"It would be wise for you to put down the boy and leave this room."

"It would be wise for _you _to tell me what the fuck is going on here!" Ellie shot back.

He walked closer to her but she held her ground.

"You do not wish to fight with me, little girl." His eyes shone dangerously.

Ellie swallowed hard. "Take us home. Now."

The Goblin King threw the tiny goblin aside. The goblin quickly got up and sprinted from the room; Ellie envied the little creature. The King then waved a hand in the air and produced a glass orb (similar to the one Ellie had seen in Sarah's box). He threw it into the air and the room exploded in a bright white light. Ellie had to close her eyes to escape the blinding brightness of it. When she opened them again she was no longer standing in Toby's room in the castle and she was no longer holding the boy. She appeared to be a cave of some sort with...two other creatures. Ellie shrieked and ran to the opposite side of the cave, away from the creatures. One was a massive horned beast, the other was a small man in need of some serious moisturizer.

"S'alright! S'alright!" the small man said calmly. "We's not gonna hurt you."

"That's what the killers always say before they attack!" Ellie cried, pressing her back against the dirt wall.

"We's not gonna kill you!" the man shouted, exasperated.

"Prove it!"

The man scratched his head. "The Goblin King sent you here, right?"

Ellie nodded.

"Well, he sent us here too. We's prisoners, like you. I'm Hoggle, that's Ludo. What's your name?"

"Eliana...Ellie."

"Eliana?" Hoggle's eyes widened. "Are you Sarah's stupid friend?"

"Yes...I mean, no! Did she tell you that I'm stupid?" Ellie looked hurt.

"She didn't, but you's wished yourself away to the goblins. Only stupid people do a thing like that."

"Well, you wanna know something, you little-" Ellie blinked and found herself facing a fireplace instead of the small man. She put a hand to her head, feeling slightly dizzy. She looked around and realized that she was back in her room.

"You know, that teleportation thing gets really goddamn annoying really fast!" Ellie shouted to no one in particular. She groaned and threw herself onto the bed. Her mind felt both full and empty; she had so many things to think about yet no answers to the billions of questions she had.

_Why does the Goblin King have Toby? That goblin was actually a pretty good kisser. How do those creatures know Sarah? Where is Sarah? I need to get to Toby again. I need to come up with another plan. Is there something going on between Sarah and the King? I need...to sleep._ As the last thought entered her mind her eyes closed and she drifted off.

…

Sarah's feet seemed to be acting upon their own will to move, as her mind was not focused on where she was going, but where she had come from. She replayed the encounter with the Goblin King over and over again in her mind, dissecting it, savoring it, and trying to throw it away. All of the emotions that she'd experienced through it came back to her in a confusing swirl, until she felt like she was drowning in her thoughts.

After she had let herself cry for a few minutes, she forced herself to get back up and get moving. She had scoured through Hoggle's house for clothing that would fit her (her nightgown was still very wet) and had found a few articles of her own clothing that she'd been missing for a few months. This made her feel both relieved and slightly weirded out—what Hoggle had been doing with her clothing she didn't really want to know. She selected a brown tank top (with a built in bra, thank goodness), a green sweater, a pair of jeans, and her favorite old pair of brown boots (she'd been so distraught when she hadn't been able to find them—she'd have to have a talk with Hoggle).

Once she'd dressed herself, she had found a brush and combed the wet tangles out of her long, dark hair. She had then braided it and, with nothing left to do, walked out of the tiny house. She hoped that her friends were alright. She hoped that the Goblin King..._Jareth_. That name had moved her to relive their meeting from just a short while ago. And now here she was, trapped inside her memories of the past but moving forward.

_No more, Sarah! s_he scolded herself. _You won't get anything accomplished by looking back. You'll just end up more of a sad, frustrated, horribly confused-_

"Gah!" she cried, pausing in her walk to stamp at the ground childishly. "Not helping! Focus on the path ahead."

With a few deep breaths, she continued on her way, this time keeping her thoughts trained on making her way through the Labyrinth.

"Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way to the castle beyond the Goblin City..." she recited the speech under her breath as she made her way down the unfamiliar path. She was going to make it; she was going to defeat the Goblin King once more.


	6. Bird Brain

**Chapter Six: Bird Brain**

_Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to _Labyrinth_._

_I'm not hungry. I'm not! _Sarah tried to concentrate on the path ahead of her and ignore the pit in her stomach. She hummed loudly, trying to drown out the sound of its gurgling plead. She rounded a corner and her spirits fell: she'd reached a dead end. She walked up to the wall at the end of the path with her hands out, hoping that it was just a "trick wall." When her hands connected with the cold stone, and no other paths revealed themselves, she let out a curse. Too hungry to formulate any plans, she began pressing against the wall as if she could push it out of the way.

A bird landed on top of the wall and looked down at her.

"What do you think you're doing?" the bird asked Sarah.

She looked up at the bird, not even slightly shocked by the fact that the bird could speak. The bird was all gray except for his orange beak and a vibrant, long green feather that topped his head. He cocked his head to the side, waiting patiently for her to respond.

"I'm trying to get this wall out of my way," Sarah finally spoke.

"Well that's the silliest thing I've ever heard," the bird laughed. "A puny human like you could never move a wall as strong as this."

"Unless you have any better ideas, please leave." Sarah's stomach let out a loud cry. She groaned and slid to the ground. The bird flew down and landed on her right knee. It stared at her through tiny black eyes.

"Do you want food?" It hopped around on her leg.

"Yes." Sarah nodded. "But I the last time I ate here I hallucinated."

"Do you want food?" it asked again, seeming to have ignored what Sarah had just said.

Sarah's stomach growled once more, alerting her of its vote. She sighed, "Yes. Do you have any?"

"Follow me." The bird jumped off Sarah's leg and took off back down the path that Sarah had just come from. Sarah stood up and jogged after the bird. When she turned the corner she realized that the Labyrinth had altered itself behind her; there was a door that hadn't been there before. The bird sat on the wall next to the door, waiting for her to walk through. She walked up to the dark wooden door, gripped the cold metal handle, and slowly pulled it open.

The first thing she noticed was the brilliant green carpet of grass. She next spotted the multicolored flowers that dotted the grass and heard the singing of birds and the hum of bees. Only after she'd stepped through the doorway and found that she had to squint did she notice the sun. Its warmth blanketed her and brought a smile to her face. She walked forward and found a sight that almost brought tears to her eyes: food. A neat picnic had been set out, complete with blanket and basket. She knelt down on the edge of the blanket and looked at the food with wide eyes. There was bread, cheese, a salad, some pink fruit that Sarah couldn't identify, currant rolls, and a pitcher of water.

The bird dropped down onto the basket.

"Go on," it said.

"I don't know if I should." Sarah held her hand out hesitantly over the rolls. "Who does this belong to?"

"Just eat." The bird blinked at her, not understanding why she was so nervous. It was food and she was hungry, what was she waiting for? Sometimes humans were so silly. _Poison. Champion must eat it. 'Then I will save her...just when her time is up.'_

"I guess I could take just one." Sarah lifted a roll from the plate.

_Or was it 'Champion must _not _eat it?' King say too many things. 'Bring her to Fiery Forest. Let her relive memories.' 'No, bring her to Garden.' Too many kings. But King wouldn't like her to die. Must be 'not.' But which food is not poison? Remember. Remember..._

"Wait!" the bird suddenly shouted.

"What?" Sarah dropped the roll as if it were on fire.

The bird looked thoughtful for a moment. "Don't eat the rolls." It was pretty sure that that was what it was supposed to remember.

"Why?"

"I don't know." The bird cocked its head to the side. "Try the prits. They're okay."

"Is that what these are?" She pointed to the pink fruit. The bird nodded.

Sarah looked at the fruit doubtfully. There was something odd about this whole situation and her instincts told her to run away. However, her stomach had other ideas and ordered her to eat _something_. She reasoned that there was only something wrong with the prits and the currant rolls as they were the only foods the bird had mentioned. She quickly picked up a slice of bread and ate it greedily. Once she was finished with that piece, she did not hesitate to grab another and gobble it down. The bird watched her intently, feeling that there was something else it was supposed to remember...

_Cheese. Water. Roll. Salad... _It ran through the list in its head. _Bread__._

"Stop!" it cried.

Sarah looked at it, beginning to get annoyed with its frequent outbursts. "What now?"

"_'Something wrong_,'" it recited. "_'Tummy hurt.' 'Sick!' 'Bleaaaarrrggggg!'_"

Sarah put down the piece of cheese she had been eating and stood up, feeling slightly frightened.

"What do you mean?" she asked the bird slowly.

"Behind the tree." The bird flew off the basket and up into a nearby maple tree.

Sarah's head began to feel light and a feeling of dread settled into her chest. She cautiously moved over to the tree. The smell hit her first and then came the buzzing noise. She only had to peak her head around the tree trunk for a brief moment to understand what was behind it. Four tiny bodies were scattered directly behind the tree and-from the appearance of their skin-Sarah guessed that they had been there for quite a while. Sarah ran away from the tree, fell to her knees near some bushes, and proceeded to throw up. When she was finished, she laid back against the grass. Her face felt hot and she could feel sweat collecting on her forehead. She tried to stand but the ground began to spin, forcing her back down again. She could only helplessly stare at the bright blue sky above her.

The bird landed on her chest and looked down at her. "I told you to eat the prits." And then it flew off.

…

A shadow fell across Sarah's blurred vision, shielding her from the unforgiving sun. She smelled a faint trace of lilacs and that led her to imagine herself lying in the shade of a giant lilac bush. She closed her eyes and smiled.

"Who have we here?" a woman asked in a lilting soprano voice.

"I believe this is the Champion," another replied, her voice a soothing alto.

"The Champion? In our garden? Oh, how exciting!"

"There is something wrong with her," a third spoke up, adding the strong mezzo-soprano to their trio. "Do you think she...?"

"Oh no!" the soprano cried.

"We must get her out of the sun," said the alto.

Sarah felt her body begin to rise up and decided that she was flying. She giggled until she realized that all the movement was making her nauseous. Something soft came in contact with her skin and she was laid down upon it. She fancied herself floating upon a cloud and tried to focus on that rather than her illness.

"Her aura feels...odd," the soprano commented.

"I know what you mean," the mezzo-soprano's voice rumbled right beside Sarah's ear. "There is strong magic in this child."

"'It is known that the Champion carries a strong magical connection to the Labyrinth.'" The alto spoke as if she were reciting a passage from a book she'd read many times. "'However, there are rumors that have been spread through the inhabitants of the Underground, suggesting that the Champion has more magic than a mere link between herself and the Labyrinth would provide. One such rumor says that the Goblin King presented her with some of his own magic-'"

"We know," the other two muttered between their teeth.

Sarah made some soft noises of discomfort.

"We're almost there, dear," the soprano cooed comfortingly. A cool hand was pressed against Sarah's overheated forehead.

_Skin. Hot. Feverish. Touching. Kissing. Jareth. _Sarah's last thought brought the smile back to her face.

"Jareth," she murmured aloud.

"Jareth?" the alto asked, surprise evident in her voice.

"Are they...?" The soprano's voice seemed to rise up an octave, if that were possible.

"No, of course not," the mezzo-soprano sounded defensive. "Jareth is already-"

"Enough with your gossip. Get her inside!" the alto ordered.

Sarah heard the _swish _of fabric and felt herself coming to land on a different cloud, this one more fluffy and unmoving. The trio of angels that had remained with her during her flight moved in and out of her vision. New voices would sing out every now and again but the trio would force their owners away. Eventually a pair of gentle hands lifted her to a sitting position. A bottle was pressed to her lips and she parted them slightly. A cool, soothing liquid was poured down her throat and didn't cease flowing until it had all run down her throat. She was allowed to lie back down once more and a cool, wet strip of cloth was placed across her forehead. A light, sweet voice began to sing near her and lulled her into easy dreams.

…

Jareth walked into his throne room and made his way over to his throne. He sat down, rested his elbows on his knees, and used his fingers to rub at his throbbing temples. Those Kingdom Alliance meetings were going to be the death of him—they were so painfully tedious. Their only purpose was to make sure that all of the various kingdoms in the Underground were keeping positive relations between one another. Though Jareth did not harbor any resentful feelings toward the kingdoms themselves, he found the monarchs to be unbearable; among them were only frivolous gossips, long-winded idiots, and sycophantic social climbers.

_At least they don't know about Sarah_, he thought gratefully. He had managed to skirt around the topic of any current runners in the Labyrinth, and everyone had been so bored that they hadn't bothered to ask. As soon as Jareth had brought Sarah back to the Labyrinth, he'd noticed that something had changed about her. Not only had she grown up, but she had a new power about her. He realized then that something had happened to Sarah the day she defeated the Labyrinth, something magical...

_I should have known the Labyrinth would do that,_ he thought. _It always did have an affection for her._

Jareth felt a pair of hands on his shoulders, interrupting his thoughts. The hands pulled him up into a straight sitting position and began to massage his shoulders. He closed his eyes and smiled as he imagined the hands belonging to Sarah.

"Oh, Jareth, you are so _tense_," the owner of the hands said, ruining Jareth's fantasy.

"Hello, Orla," Jareth muttered.

"What's wrong, Darling? The meeting wasn't _that _terrible." Orla slid her hands away from Jareth. "They are rather uneventful, but it is the price one must pay for peace."

"I suppose it is." Jareth waved his hand and a crystal orb appeared in his palm. He began fiddling with it. He wished Orla would just return to her Elven Kingdom, but she sat down on the arm of his throne, showing that she had no intention of leaving anytime soon.

Of all the monarchs in the Underground, Jareth found Orla to be one of the most tolerable; she was intelligent and refrained from taking more of a part in the events of the other monarchs than she had to. Like most Fae, she was beautiful, with long, wavy blonde hair, fair white skin, and lively green eyes. However, none of these qualities made Jareth desire to _marry _her. He avoided looking at the betrothal ring on her small left hand, for it was just another reminder of the life he was being forced into.

Orla's green eyes watched him thoughtfully. "There is something bothering you."

"Someone is running the Labyrinth." He tossed the orb high into the air.

"It must be someone special. You've never looked this upset over other runners."

"They're definitely special," he said with an amused expression. _That bird should have led her to the forest by now. _He caught the orb and peered inside of it. His smile disappeared. "What is..._no!_"

"Problem with your 'special someone?'" Orla teased.

Jareth stood up. "She's made it into a part of the Labyrinth that _no one _is allowed to enter. That's in the opposite direction of...!" He let out an angry growl.

A frown appeared on Orla's face at Jareth's use of the word 'she.' "Then she certainly is special, isn't she?"

"I must go," Jareth said gruffly before dropping a crystal on the floor and vanishing in a blue cloud.

Now alone, Orla slid off the throne and looked around the room. "Oh, Jareth," she sighed. With a frustrated groan she too vanished in a flash of violet light.

**Author's Note: **Okay, I have _no _idea where Orla came from. She just randomly showed up and decided that she was betrothed to Jareth. It was sort of rude but I'm going to let it go and see where this plot line leads to. But again, I promise that this will NOT turn into Jareth/OC. J+S 4 Eva! (Okay, just ignore that last obnoxious bit...)


	7. The Secret Garden

**Chapter Seven: The Secret Garden**

_Disclaimer: I do not own _Labyrinth.

Though the hidden land was often referred to as a garden, it was much more than a simple plot of flowers; there were dark woods, rolling hills, winding rivers, deep valleys, wide meadows, and dozens of garden-like areas. A calm had settled across this place as the sun began to set. In one of the western meadows there lay a camp. A tall adult human stumbling upon this camp might have felt a bit out of place as everything was built for people about four and a half feet in height.

Amid a small collection of colorful tents, a young Elf girl of about nineteen in appearance, paced back and forth across the grass. She had strawberry-blonde hair that ran down her back in a long braid, and vibrant violet eyes. The first thing one would noticed about her, aside from her small size, would be a pair of large purple and blue butterfly wings adorning her back. She was trying her best to look like she wasn't peeking around the side of a blue tent to see something behind it.

Nearby, a group of five Elven women sat in a circle and sent up heavenly harmonies from both instruments and voices. Among this group was one with black hair, a dark complexion, and brilliant blue eyes. Upon her back were vibrant crimson butterfly wings which were twitching in irritation. She was watching the blonde and eventually stopped singing and walked over to the nervous-looking girl. The rest of the music group continued on without her.

"Eolande," the dark woman spoke in a mezzo-soprano voice, "you _must _stop pacing. She will be fine. Rossa has had the best training in healing and medicines that one may receive in the Underground. Trust her."

"I do, Arethusa, I do," the blonde replied, a soprano, "but what if we found her too late? What if she is beyond help? Oh, I _knew_ we should have had that picnic cleaned up. The Champion is going to die and it's all our fault!" She buried her face in her hands and began to sob.

Arethusa rolled her eyes and reached out to pull Eolande's hands away from her face. "Compose yourself, Eolande! Oh, how I wish the Goddess had not placed you with us this afternoon. Then I would be spared all this incessant pacing and unnecessary worrying!"

Eolande bowed her head. "I apologize if my anxiety causes you displeasure." There was no hiding the hint of anger in her voice.

The dark woman smirked before affecting a cool and superior air. "Your apology is accepted; you are young and still have much to learn about controlling your emotions." She cocked her head to the side as if she were being thoughtful. "Actually, you still have much to learn in general."

"Oh, how clever, Sister," Eolande said sarcastically, though she struggled to keep a smile off her face. "It's a wonder you decided to commit yourself to the service of the Goddess, for that wit of yours would be enough to attract hundreds of men."

Then, after a moment of staring at one another, they burst out laughing.

"What is all this laughter about?" An older woman with a rich alto voice stepped out from behind the blue tent. Her hair was white with scattered strands of blue but her skin did not reveal her to be any older than forty years. Her eyes, on the other hand, were a deep amber and told of her hundreds of years of experience. She carried a pair of magnificent golden brown wings on her back.

"Nothing, Rossa," Eolande giggled out.

"How does the Champion fare?" Arethusa asked, knowing that the question would sober her blonde sister up immediately.

Rossa chuckled at Eolande's suddenly anxious expression. She reached out to stroke the girl's hair comfortingly. "She is going to be fine. I've managed to pull the poison apart from her system, now it merely needs to be expelled from her body. I shall need your assistance as it can get rather...messy."

"Of course!" Eolande nodded enthusiastically. Arethusa snorted and rolled her eyes.

With a scolding look at Arethusa, Rossa led the two girls around the side of the tent over to an old weeping willow tree. Rossa parted the green curtain that covered the tree to allow the younger elves to pass through. The Champion laid against the base of the tree upon a pile a pillows, a damp cloth resting across her forehead. The only light in the area was supplied by a few lanterns, all placed around the sleeping girl. Eolande was the first to reach the girl's side.

"What must we do?" the blonde asked while pushing loose strands of Sarah's hair away from her face.

Rossa pulled a small vial of green liquid out of a pouch that was strapped across her chest. "I need to have her swallow this. Eolande, get her elevated a bit more. Arethusa, grab that bucket over there and be prepared to rush over as soon as I've given her the medicine."

The two younger girls followed the orders they had been given; Eolande transforming into a taller human version of herself in order to handle Sarah better, and Arethusa dragging the bucket over to her. As soon as all was in place, Rossa crawled upon the bed of pillows to kneel by Sarah's head. She gently parted Sarah's lips and poured the liquid into her mouth. The brunette immediately began shifting and twitching. Her eyes flew open and she quickly sat up, Arethusa just barely making it to her as she vomited.

Her stomach now emptied, Sarah laid back on the pillows, her eyes only partially open. Eolande grabbed a bowl of water and a cloth and began to wipe Sarah's face. The girl's lips twitched as if she were trying to say something. Just as she managed to get the first syllable out, she was interrupted by a noise that sounded very similar to the crack of thunder. Seemingly from nowhere, dark blue smoke appeared and shrouded a tall figure from the view of the women. Eolande moved closer to Sarah, wrapping her arms around the girl's upper body protectively. Arethusa walked forward and transformed into a large brown bear before the hidden figure. Rossa crossed her arms and appeared to be greatly annoyed.

"Are you going to step forth, or shall I send Arethusa in to retrieve you?" Rossa called out to the figure. "I've always wondered which one of you would win in a fight."

Slowly the smoke began to fade and the figure stepped forward. "Hello, Rossa. It's a pleasure to see you again as well." The Goblin King stood before the group, dressed in his glittery all-black ensemble, complete with high-collard cape.

Arethusa relaxed slightly and reverted to her Elfin form. "Oh, it's you."

"Tsk, tsk, Arethusa. That's not a very polite tone to use with someone who so generously brought you into his home."

Arethusa growled and looked about ready to attack Jareth, but Rossa placed her hand on her sister's shoulder and gently pulled her back.

"Why are you here, Jareth?" Rossa asked calmly, though her body was still tense.

Jareth clasped his hands behind his back and circled around the two women. "I seem to have forgotten a part of our agreement. Did I not promise you security from unwanted intruders such as my goblins, in exchange for _your _promise not to interfere with my runners?"

"Yes." Rossa nodded.

Jareth stopped walking and faced the two girls on the pile of pillows. "Then who is this?"

"I am Eolande." The blonde carefully laid Sarah down and stood up. She looked at Jareth innocently. "I am the newest Sister."

Frustration radiated off Jareth in waves. Arethusa snorted and smiled at her sister proudly. The Goblin King struck his most intimidating pose. "Do you realize to whom you are speaking, Girl?"

Eolande smiled at him and looked around the area as if she hadn't heard anything. She slowly brought her eyes back to the Goblin King who was glaring at her with a dangerous glint in his eyes.

Furrowing her brow, she asked softly, "Were you speaking to me? Oh, my name is Eolande. Not 'Girl.'"

Arethusa burst out laughing and Rossa grinned. Jareth was not so amused. Thankfully, a noise from Sarah stopped him from inflicting some form of punishment upon Eolande. All eyes went to the brunette laying amongst the pillows. Eolande quickly returned to her original position at Sarah's head, cradling her in her arms.

"I...need to go," Sarah murmured as she weakly attempted to pull out of Eolande's grasp.

"Hush." The blonde girl comfortingly stroked Sarah's hair and gently rocked her. "You need to rest."

Jareth stared at Sarah with an unreadable expression. "What happened to her?"

Rossa stepped up behind the King "Two weeks ago, a few of your male goblins managed to find the door to our garden. We're not quite certain of how long they had been sneaking in before we noticed them, but as soon as we caught them we warned them not to return. Three days later, a few of our sisters found them watching us bathe in the river. We secretly laid a trap for them: a spread of poisoned food. You can imagine how well it worked."

Jareth appeared unsurprised and said casually, "I was wondering where those four had scampered off to."

"We forgot about the food and the goblins for a fortnight—things were busy with the fast approaching Festival of the Moon—but we were going to clean it up today. Unfortunately, the Champion had somehow gotten to it before us."

Jareth's eyes flashed to Rossa, full of several unidentifiable emotions.

"I have removed all of the poison," Rossa quickly explained. "She is merely tired and weak from having had to experience such an attack on her body." The older woman reached up to pat Jareth's arm, feeling slightly uncomfortable about it. "She's going to be fine."

The Goblin King returned his attention back to the whimpering Sarah. He slowly knelt down beside her, his eyes never leaving her face. Sarah's eyes eventually found his and widened, her movement ceased. Her eyebrows formed a crease above her nose and she appeared to be trying to look very serious.

"I am...I am _not _dancing with you." She pointed a finger at Jareth accusingly.

He smirked and gently pushed her hand down. "I assure you, Sarah, if I had wanted to dance with you, we most certainly would be dancing by now."

"Keep your...your gloves to yourself." Sarah's eyes fluttered partially closed.

With a low chuckle, Jareth moved closer to her and reached out to brush her cheek with his hand. "Are you certain that that is what you truly desire?" He leaned in to her, his fingers trailing down to her neck.

"I..."

"Yes, precious?"

Sarah shot up, nearly causing a collision between her forehead and Jareth's chin. "I need the bucket," she moaned. Arethusa rushed forward with said bucket and pushed Jareth out of the way just in time. When Sarah was finished, she fell back against Eolande and closed her eyes.

"It would appear that not all of the poison had left her body," Rossa remarked, looking highly amused.

Jareth rose from the position he had been knocked into, glaring at Arethusa. "Due to her current condition, I will allow her to stay here without considering it a breach of our agreement." His emphasis on the word "allow" caused Arethusa to snort loudly.

"How _gracious _Your Majesty is!" Eolande gazed up at the Goblin King in false admiration.

"It is _not _a breach of our agreement for her to remain with us." Arethusa stood up. "Your goblins stole into our garden long before the Champion arrived. Therefore, it is _you _who broke your word first, and it is only fair that we, in turn, get to intervene in the affairs of one of your runners." With a satisfied and triumphant smile, the dark girl spun away and walked out from under the willow. A dangerous calm settled over the King's form and rolled off him in thick, cool waves. Rossa immediately intervened before another provoking word could be said to the Goblin King.

"I must speak with the King alone," she said, walking over to Eolande and gently pulling her from Sarah. "Go forth and spread the word to the others that the Champion is well."

After planting a light kiss on Sarah's forehead and throwing a pointed look at Jareth, Eolande left. Rossa watched as the King knelt back down at the Champion's side. She felt surprise as she sensed a hesitation in Jareth. She stared at him for a few more moments before a realization hit her, her face then relaxing into a knowing smile. _One such rumor says that the Goblin King presented her with some of his own magic, for he had fallen in love with the girl..._

"I had heard tell of the Champion's return to the Underground," Rossa said casually.

"Even here in your secret hideaway? Amazing!" Jareth replied with mock surprise. "Though I suppose that if gossip wishes to travel, it will find the ears of any eager listener." He looked at Rossa out of the corner of his eye.

She narrowed her eyes. "Careful, Jareth."

Jareth's gaze quickly flickered back to Sarah. Rossa sighed and walked closer to the King and the Champion.

"We _are_ grateful, Jareth," her voice came out quietly, "despite our behavior. It hard for us—especially the young ones—to submit to the authority of the Fae royalty after our..._history_ with them."

"I am not asking for your submission." Jareth's eyes remained on Sarah's sleeping form. "I would like your respect."

Rossa crossed her arms, her eyes hardening as a memory passed through her mind. "You've heard the stories, yes?"

"Yes." Jareth nodded. "That is part of the reason I invited you to come live within the Labyrinth."

"Girls-younger than even the Champion-stolen away, broken, sold, prostituted..." Rossa began to shake with rage. "And the High King did _nothing_! For over six centuries the Geimhreadh Forest had been our home and, instead of aiding us in our time of need, he cast us out of it! _He punished us for being victims_!"

"I'm here!" Sarah cried as she scrambled into a sitting position. "Toby! Ellie! I'm..." Her eyes met the Goblin King's, only briefly interrupting their gaze to look around the tent. "What is going on? Why are you here? Did _you _touch that food?" She let out a frustrated groan. "I should have known!"

"I surmise that your excessive babble means you are feeling better?" The Goblin King crossed his arms.

"I'm well enough to continue on my journey to defeat _you_," she spat as she slowly stood. She was a little unsteady the first few steps, but she walked forward determinedly. On the fifth step though, her legs gave out from under her. Rossa jumped forward, turning into a pile of feathers just as Sarah fell. The Goblin King chuckled and rose to his feet. He held out a hand to Sarah to help her stand. When she refused to accept it, he scooped her up in his arms and carried her back to the pile of pillows. Her thrashing and cries of protest did not appear to affect him; he held her tightly against his chest and held a smirk on his lips.

"Jerk," Sarah growled as he set her down.

"I applaud your determination, Champion," Rossa said, now back in her original form, "but I believe that some more rest would best benefit you. Although the poison is gone, your body still needs to recover from all it underwent today."

"How long will that take?" Sarah asked anxiously.

Rossa grabbed a small purple vial out of her pouch. "Once you swallow this you'll be well enough come morning."

Sarah stared at the proffered vial warily. "_He _didn't touch it, did he?"

"No." Rossa shook her head and leveled her gaze at Jareth. "He wouldn't dare."

Put slightly at ease, Sarah took the vial and downed it. It tasted like apple juice with an aftertaste of cough medicine. Giving one violent shiver, she handed the vial back to the woman. The Goblin King let out a laugh.

"None of this is funny," Sarah growled. "It's all your fault! And you called _me _a cheater."

"I did not poison that food, Sarah." He grinned at the confusion and distrust that collected in her expression.

"I'm afraid that I must take responsibility for that," the white haired woman admitted. "It was intended for a specific group of intruders. You were never supposed to find this place...though I suppose a Champion of the Labyrinth will manage to find her way anywhere within its stone walls."

Sarah was thoughtful for a moment, trying to draw back all of her memory from before the poisoning. "A bird led me here. He was all gray except for a long green feather on his head. He told me to eat the...oh, what were they called? Pits? _Pricks_?" She threw a casual side-glance at the Goblin King.

"Prits," Rossa supplied. "What a smart bird; those were indeed the only food items that we did not poison. Why did you eat the other food if he told you-"

"I've learned not to trust very many things down here." Sarah looked at the Goblin King pointedly. "I thought he was trying to trick me."

"Perhaps you should have given him the chance to prove himself," Jareth's voice held a slight edge to it.

"Trusting him could have turned out to be fatal for me," Sarah shot back.

Jareth scoffed, "_Not _trusting him _did _prove fatal for you."

"He should have given me more of a reason to trust him."

"He _was._ You were just too stubborn to see past your prejudicial opinions of him."

"'_Prejudicial opinions_'? You have no idea how I-"

"Enough!" Rossa shouted, immediately drawing the couple's attention to her and away from one another. "The Champion must rest."

Rising to his feet, Jareth nodded in agreement. "Of course. She may stay until mid-morning tomorrow. If she has not left by then, I shall have to return."

"We won't keep her from her journey any longer than necessary."

"Worry not, Goblin King," Sarah spoke with a wicked grin as she laid back on the pillows. "I'll still defeat you..." she yawned, "...and with plenty of time to spare."

Jareth smiled maliciously. "Oh, but you have no idea what awaits you, Precious." With a parting nod at Rossa, the Goblin King vanished in a cloud of glitter.

Rossa stared at Sarah's sleeping form with a frown. "No, she truly doesn't." She began to put out the lanterns, and as she got to the last one, she whispered, "And neither do you."

***Updated* A/N**: Gah! This was _the worst _chapter to edit. I had to really fight with myself to make certain that I was staying true to Sarah and Jareth's characters. Also, I felt that I had been to easy on Jareth in his relationship to this group of girls, so I changed it to make it a bit more interesting than just: "Oh, yay! We love Jareth because he helped us, and everything is all sunshine, rainbows, and smiles!" I hope you liked it. Review!


	8. Hot Pants

**Chapter 8: Hot Pants**

_Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own _Labyrinth.

"Thank you for the information," the police officer said in a deep, rough voice. "We'll begin our investigation and let you know if we find anything. Try and get some rest now."

"Thank you, Officer," Robert replied with a polite smile.

The officer nodded and waved his hand in the air to let the other officers know that they were leaving. Karen was sitting on the beige couch, hunched over. Robert went over to her and pulled her to him. The sound of the front door shutting made Karen jump slightly.

"What are we supposed to do now?" she asked, letting her head fall back against Robert's chest.

"You heard what the officer said—we should get some rest." He rubbed her arm. "I'm sure that's what Ellie's parents are doing."

"How can you even _think _about sleep at a time like this?" She felt like her eyes were going to fall out of her head, but there was no way she would be able to close them while the children were missing.

"What else can we do? I still think you're being a little dramatic. I'm sure there's a perfectly plausible explanation for all this."

Karen immediately sat up and glared at her husband. "Fine. You go sleep while I stay up and care about the children."

"That is _not _what I said."

"That might not be what you _said_, but it most certainly was _implied_."

"I can't deal with you when you're like this." Robert stood up from the couch.

"When I'm like what? When I'm behaving like a parent?"

"Knock it off, Karen." Robert's voice came out in a low growl.

"You know, it's no wonder why Sarah never accepted my authority—she'd never experienced the behavior of a real parent."

"_Authority_? No, Sarah never respected you because you run this house like a prison! You refused to allow her the room she needed to grow!"

"I had to crack down to make up for you! Children need boundaries, Robert. It keeps them from getting into danger and becoming wild. You're lucky I came along when I did or Sarah would've run away just like her mother." Karen was standing up at this point, her face burning with rage.

"Shut up, Karen!" Robert slammed his fist against the wall. "You've always been jealous of Sarah—admit it! You were hard on her because you wanted to crush her imaginative spirit. You don't have a creative bone in your body, so you wanted to break all of hers!"

Karen's eyes welled up with hot tears. "Get out!" She screamed. "Get the hell out of my house!"

"I'm _going_!" Robert shouted back. He grabbed his coat and stormed out the front door. Karen took a vase and chucked it at the door after he'd slammed it shut. She sank back onto the couch, her body shaking violently from her sobs.

_What's happening to us? _Karen pondered this question until her tears wore her down into an uneasy sleep.

…

Jareth appeared back in the throne room. _Damn that idiotic bird! _Now Sarah was surrounded by the doting Sisters of Aine, rather than the frightening insanity of the Fireys. He should have known better; Sarah always did have a knack for getting into things she shouldn't and ruining his plans. And what luck that girl had! Of course the Sisters decided to stroll through the area of the garden they hadn't touched in days, just as Sarah was in dire need. _But if they hadn't..._He shivered. He should not have gone to the Alliance meeting. He should have been here, watching her carefully, making sure she ended up in the Firey Forest.

_She would have caused some sort of trouble for you no matter where she went._

A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he crossed up to his throne. He sat down, one leg slung over one of the arms, shook his head with a light chuckle. He felt a slew of conflicting emotions and couldn't quite decide which ones to express. He wanted to shout but grin at the same time; he wanted to kick a few goblins, yet sing a soft, soulful tune; he wanted to drop Sarah in an Oubliette and forget about her, but he also wanted to hold her close to him and never release her. She infuriated him to no end, but he so strongly desired to kiss her.

"But _why_?" Jareth asked himself aloud, running a hand down his face.

_Perhaps it is because you are still in love with her._

Jareth's whole body froze at the words. "I...no!" He stood up. "She is merely a current fascination. The feeling will pass once she returns home. Just as it did after her first visit."

_Did it really? You could have fooled me._ Images of him stumbling around in a drunken stupor, spending days in his chambers without seeing a single creature, and angrily shattering crystals against a wall passed through his mind. _What a mess you were...and all over a little girl who you claim was a mere "passing fancy."_

"She humiliated me," Jareth admitted grudgingly. "The great Goblin King defeated by a human girl. How they all spoke about me after that! No longer was I one to be feared, but to be mocked." _Not to mention the fact that she rejected you..._ Another memory played out in his head; it was of him sitting amongst the ruins of his Escher room, his head in his hands, mouthing a word over and over, like a mantra. _Sarah. Sarah. Sarah._

_How pathetic._

"Leave me be!" he cried, grabbing angrily at his hair.

"Wow," a familiar female voice echoed from across the room, "you just went through, like, twenty emotions in five minutes. That's pretty impressive...and also a little scary."

Jareth's head shot up and he spotted the red haired girl sitting in a corner of the room.

"But you should see me after I've had three cups of coffee," she continued. "Oh, man. I go totally insane. Have you ever seen _Beetlejuice_? You know that part where his head spins around and he screams? Well, that's me. Sarah always-"

"How did you get out of your room?"

"Magic," Ellie waved her hands around in a complicated gesture.

Jareth crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow.

Ellie sighed, annoyed that the Goblin King didn't seem to appreciate her sense of humor. "I ran out the door when a little furry goblin brought me lunch. He tried to chase after me but I was too fast for him. There's now a little goblin gang after me and they look a lot like a witch-hunting mob. I'm not actually sure what they're planning on doing to me...anyway, I've been hiding out in here for the past hour or so."

Jareth tried to hide his embarrassment at the knowledge that the girl had bore witness to his internal argument. He cleared his throat and took a nonchalant stance. "They haven't come through here?"

"They did, but I hid behind the throne, and they got distracted by a chicken before they got the chance to look there. Seriously, what is their hang-up with the chickens?"

At that exact moment a noisy group of goblins burst into the throne room. They were all carrying different "weapons" (most of them were kitchen wares such as wooden spoons and rolling pins) and emitting battle cries. They immediately stopped when they saw Jareth, but the ones in the front stopped so quickly that the ones in the back ran into them, and they all tumbled over each other. Jareth rolled his eyes and squatted down.

"Your Majesty!" the goblins said in unison.

"What are you doing?" Jareth asked.

One of them managed to disentangle herself from the others and stood to face her king.

"We're looking for the red girl," she said, "Flurz let her out of her room."

"She tricked me!" a squeaky voice whined from inside the goblin pile.

"Yoo-hoo!" Ellie sang out from her corner, standing up. "I'm right here."

The whole group gasped and leaped up, impressively extracting themselves and their weapons from each other.

"Get her!" cried Flurz.

The group raced at Ellie who began running. Jareth watched the chase, highly amused. She nearly tripped as she reached the pit in the middle of the room, but gracefully recovered and continued on. A few chickens came clucking into the room and soon joined in the chase, only fueling the goblins' excitement.

"Any time you want to step in, Hot Pants," Ellie shouted at Jareth. She dodged a cookie cutter that was thrown at her.

"What did you just call me?" he shouted back.

"Hot Pants! You know, 'cause your pants are...oh, forget it! Just call off your minions!"

"_Enough!_" Jareth bellowed. His voice echoed up to the ceiling and back down again, making it sound like the booming voice of God.

The goblins skidded to a stop and immediately dropped their weapons. Ellie sat down on the floor, trying to catch her breath.

"They're...fast...little buggers!" Ellie said in between gulps of air.

"Leave. Now." Jareth ordered, looking directly at the goblins.

Muttering amongst themselves, they scurried their way out of the room. Ellie stood up and brushed off her dress. She walked up to Jareth and took in a deep breath.

"Well, now that my lungs have returned to normal," she said, "would you mind telling me why you have Toby...and why you were all 'Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde' a minute ago? Don't think I forgot about that. Now dish."

"_What_?" Jareth looked at her as though she had just spoken in tongues.

"Wait! How about I try to guess? Okay, um...you were obviously freaking out over a girl...are you trying to figure out how to ask her out?"

Jareth merely blinked.

"No? Um...you seemed like you were trying to pass this girl off as just, like, a phase, but you weren't really sure...is she a friend with benefits, but now you're thinking you want a little more?"

Jareth shook his head and turned away from her. He walked back to his throne, pinching the bridge of his nose. He needed to get rid of this girl soon, or he was positive that he wouldn't be able to restrain himself from turning her into a goblin right then.

"Oh! I've got it!" Ellie followed him. "You've stolen this girl's friends and are forcing her to run your Labyrinth for a second time. You really want into this girl's pants, and you think she's into you, but she's showed resistance."

The Goblin King spun around to face the red-haired girl. She was smiling triumphantly and in her right hand she held up a crystal orb. Inside it was an image of Sarah in a massive white ballgown dancing with him.

"Where did you get this?" Jareth snatched the orb from Ellie.

"Don't you know not to leave your memories just lying around?" she scolded teasingly. "You left it on the windowsill. Those things are freakin' amazing—it's like watching TV inside a little ball!"

"What did you see?"

"Enough to know that you're in ridiculously-slash creepily-in love with Sarah. I also know Sarah well enough to know that she's rejecting you. Don't feel bad; she does it to all the boys. Though I don't know why she's doing it with you since you're the only guy I've ever seen her _that_ affected by. Oh, wait! I know why! It's because you kidnapped her friends and her baby brother."

Jareth stared into the orb at Sarah.

"Bottom line, Hot Pants: You release me and Toby, and you can have Sarah."

He looked at Ellie with an evil grin. "Are you offering to trade Sarah for your freedom?"

"No! What I mean is, if you let us go then Sarah won't have to feel like she has to hate you. She totally has the hots for you. I swear to God, the crystal almost fogged up from the amount of sexual tension between you two."

Jareth looked back into the orb; he appeared to be contemplating something. Eventually he threw the orb into the air and it vanished. He turned his back on Ellie and crossed over to his throne.

"I am betrothed," he said.

"Your point?" Ellie put her hands on her hips. "Dump her, free us, make-out with Sarah, and everyone goes home happy."

"I am to marry Queen Orla of the Elven Kingdom."

"So? Hold on, are you saying that Sarah's not good enough for you?"

"I am to marry Queen Orla," Jareth repeated, the words tasting bitter on his tongue.

"Well I can tell you what you can do with your queen, Hot Pants." Ellie crossed her arms. "But that's fine. If you think you're too _fabulous _for Sarah, then she doesn't need you."

Jareth stood up, glaring down at the human girl. "I have had my fill of disrespect for one day. I am King and expect to be addressed as one."

"Oh, I do apologize, _Your Majesty_," Ellie responded sarcastically, sounding almost identical to Eolande.

"It would be wise for you to leave now." Jareth narrowed his eyes.

"Of course, Your Highness." She curtsied dramatically before turning toward the doors. When she was just about to exit, she turned back around to look at the Goblin King.

"One last thing, _King_: You might want to wash Sarah's perfume off you before you next see your _queen—_apple and cinnamon just doesn't work for you." With that, she walked out, slamming the door behind her.

Jareth sank back down onto his throne. He buried his head in his hands and let himself drown in his thoughts.

**Author's Note: **Poor Jareth. He's having trouble adjusting to the "I-don't-take-shit-from-no-man" women around him. That's his fault though. :P As always, REVIEW!


	9. Dear Narcissus Boy

**Chapter Nine: Dear Narcissus Boy**

_Disclaimer: I do not own _Labyrinth _nor do I own Alanis Morissette or her song "Narcissus."_

Sarah awoke to the sound of birds singing. She sat up energetically, feeling anxious to get up and moving; she hadn't felt so well rested since she'd begun high school. She looked around at the shaded area around her; with everything that had happened the night before, she hadn't had time to really take in her surroundings. Sunlight peered in at her in thin lines from between the strands of green hanging down from the large willow tree behind her. A vast expanse of emerald grass was spread out around her, covered in morning dew. She spotted the wooden bucket lying just a few feet away and her stomach growled, as if it had suddenly remembered that it was empty.

"Good morning!" A familiar tiny blonde girl popped her head in through the willow's curtain. Since she had stationed herself behind Sarah last night, Sarah hadn't been able to really study the girl's face. She had soft, small features and smooth, pale skin. She wore brown boots, a long flowing skirt made up of mismatching pieces of fabric, and a blue peasant blouse. Her size surprised Sarah—she was so small—but it was her wings that caught Sarah's attention.

"Morning," Sarah replied with a smile.

"Are you feeling better?" the woman asked as she stepped further under the tree's shelter. In her hands she held a tray carrying food whose scent delighted Sarah's nose.

Sarah gave a cat-like stretch. "Yes. I actually feel better than I have in a while."

"Oh, I'm so glad! I knew Rossa could do it." The woman smiled brightly, her wings fluttering happily.

A brief silence passed between them before Sarah spoke: "I'm really sorry, but I don't remember your name. What is it again?"

"It is no surprise that you do not know—we were never formally introduced. I'm Eolande." She walked over to set the tray down on the grass next to Sarah's bed.

"I'm Sarah."

"I know. You're the Champion; everyone here knows about you." Eolande took a bowl off the tray and handed it to her. It was oatmeal with maple syrup.

"Thank you," Sarah said politely, trying very hard not to just inhale the oatmeal. "I'm sorry for intruding in your garden, but I really appreciate all of your kindness. You literally saved my life!"

"It is an honor to help the Champion of the Labyrinth." Eolande gave a slight bow before sitting on a stuck-up root nearby. Sarah blushed and turned her attention to her breakfast.

"Why, um, why was the Goblin King here last night?" Sarah quickly placed another spoonful of oatmeal in her mouth.

"Oh, he was upset because we are not supposed to interact with his runners." Eolande rolled her eyes. "It is a part of our _agreement_."

Sarah cocked her head to the side. "What 'agreement?'"

"For six centuries the Sisters of Aine have resided in the Geimhreadh Forest. It was our first home, it was where the first Sister, Athdara, was told by Aine Herself to begin the sisterhood. Recently, the High King decreed that the Forest was too 'unsafe' for us, and cast us out." Eolande paused, her face bright red and her eyes glaring daggers at the floor.

"What made it 'unsafe?'" Sarah asked nervously, not wishing to direct the blonde's anger to her.

"We were being stolen from the forest and sold as slaves, wives, and prostitutes."

Sarah's eyes widened in shock. "I can't...that's..."

"I know," Eolande replied solemnly, looking down at her hands. "It was not the Forest itself that was allowing these things to happen, though. It was the High King. He'd passed a law that made it illegal to carry weapons or use violence of any sort within it. He sent in his guards to enforce the law and we grew weaker, unable to properly protect ourselves." She shook her head, blonde curls bouncing against her cheeks. "But that was our _home_, we were not going to leave it merely because we faced a little adversity."

"I assume that the guards did nothing to help keep the kidnappers away?"

"You are correct. In fact, many of them did the selling themselves."

Sarah shook her head, making a noise of disgust. She looked up at Eolande, who stared blankly at the opposite wall of the tent, tears silently staining her face. Sarah cautiously reached out to take the Elf girl's hand. Eolande jumped at the sudden contact but soon relaxed into a small, grateful smile.

"I'm so sorry you had to go through all of that, Eolande." Sarah squeeze her hand gently.

A blush rose to the blonde's face. "I...I was not actually there. I only recently joined the sisterhood. But once you join, you become a part of their history. Do you understand my meaning?"

Sarah smiled warmly. "Completely."

Eolande's own smile widened before she suddenly straightened up, brushing away her tears. "I nearly forgot your original question. Where did I leave off?"

Sarah's eyes dropped to her hand in Eolande's, comparing the sizes. "You were telling me about the guards participating in the kidnapping."

"Ah, yes. Well, that continued for a few years until the Alliance was created. Having been convinced—or bribed, more likely than not-by the High King to believe that it was in our 'best interest', the Alliance voted to have us removed from the Forest. Thus we were turned out of the only home we'd ever known.

Our agreement with Jareth was created a few months later-a short while before this, your second visit to the Labyrinth, actually. He offered us a hidden haven, protected by his Labyrinth. At first we refused, still angered by what the Fae royalty did to us. But he persisted and even invited Rossa and a few others to discuss it in his castle. Eventually we begrudgingly accepted his offer...now, here we are."

Sarah was thoughtful for a moment, absorbing in all of this new information. "But why would the Goblin King want you here? He wouldn't do anything that didn't benefit him in some way."

"That is exactly why we are all so wary around him." Eolande leaned forward conspiratorially. "I suspect that he is planning something and believes it to be in his best interest to ally himself with us. For better or for worse, I could not say, but I do know that something is brewing down here in the Underground. I can just _feel _it."

Both girls were silent and thoughtful for a moment; Sarah poking at her oatmeal and Eolande watching her. Finally, Eolande rose from her chair and took Sarah's half-eaten oatmeal from her, handing her a glass of water in return.

"There are some clothes just over there," she pointed at the foot of Sarah's pillow-bed. "When you are finished dressing, come outside. We know that you must be on your way, but we have some parting gifts for you that we believe will help in your quest."

"Thank you." Sarah smiled.

Eolande returned the smile, nodded, and flew away.

…

"_Dear narcissus boy, I know you've never really apologized for anything. I know you've never really taken responsibility. I know you've never really listened to a woman_," Ellie sang angrily. She was sitting in a small storage room of sorts with wooden shelves lining its walls. In her hands she held a wooden diamond-shaped instrument with a long, curved neck, and thin steel strings.

After storming out of the throne room, Ellie had wandered through the hallways of the castle, cursing Jareth under her breath. How dare he insult her friend like that? He was nothing but a spoiled, self-centered-

"..._egotist boy, you've never really had to suffer any consequence. You've never stayed with anyone longer than ten minutes. You'd never understand anyone showing resistance._"

Eventually Ellie had decided to search through some rooms, knowing just how much that annoyed the Goblin King. That was how she found the storage room. It was small and the only light came from a low-lit hanging lantern on the ceiling. She'd gone through some of the piles on the shelves, tossing things around carelessly (though it seemed as though the King's goblins had beaten her to it). There weren't many objects of interest to her (most of it was literal junk—chewed up pencils, books that had been ripped apart, and socks that were missing their mates—but hey, one man's trash is a goblin's treasure), but she felt slightly thrilled at the thought of pawing through things she wasn't supposed to.

She found the instrument sitting on a chair beside a cracked mirror. It took her mere minutes to figure out how to play it; it worked just like a guitar. She decided that her current situation required the Queen of Angry Girl Music: Alanis Morissette.

_Why didn't he tell me that Sarah is running the Labyrinth? _Ellie thought as she belted out the lyrics. _Probably thought I'd interrupt their make-out time. That's such a guy thing to do! I guess it doesn't matter whether they're a king or a regular Joe—they both think with their-_

"Hello?" A voice interrupted Ellie's train of thought. It came from directly outside the door.

"Hello!" she called back, not recognizing the voice. She heard the door handle begin to turn. "I have to warn you: If you've been sent by Jareth, I'll be forced to kick your ass. And believe me, I can."

The door slowly swung open and a tiny head popped into the room. Unsurprisingly it was one of Jareth's goblins. This one was covered in black fur and had glowing indigo eyes.

"Well?" Ellie set down the instrument and crossed her legs, trying to look as intimidating as possible.

"Fuzz is sorry, Miss," the goblin said in a high-pitched voice. "Fuzz heard Miss singing. 'Very pretty, very pretty,' he thinks. Fuzz comes to tell Miss how pretty her singing is."

Ellie's scowl immediately morphed into a smile. "Oh, thank you. Come on in." She motioned for Fuzz to walk closer to her. The goblin scurried in and came to sit in front of her.

"Fuzz wonders why Miss sings so full of anger."

"It's because of your irritating poof of a king."

Fuzz tilted his head to the side as if he didn't understand.

"He hasn't been very nice to me and my friends," she clarified.

Fuzz nodded in understanding. "King is not happy with Miss either."

Ellie snorted, "That doesn't surprise me. I'm the only one around here that refuses to stroke his massive ego. Sarah can't be so blinded by lust that she doesn't see him for what he really is though. She's smarter than that...I hope..."

"Sarah? The Champion?"

"Champion? What are you talking about?"

"Sarah defeated the Labyrinth—the first in decades. Won back her brother. All of the Labyrinth admires her."

"Oh yeah. I'd forgotten about that. King 'I-Sparkle-More-Than-A-Twilight-Vampire' is probably still ripped at Sarah for kicking ass. His, specifically." Ellie twisted her hair in her hands with a grin. "What exactly happened between her and Jareth? The little orb TV didn't come with sound."

Fuzz closed his mouth tightly and looked around nervously.

"What? It's okay, you can tell me. I'm really good at keeping secrets. Hannah Smith once told me that she liked Jake Lebowitz, but he was dating Lisa Thoms, who was really jealous of Hannah and-"

"Jareth declared his lo-" Fuzz interrupted Ellie, but was interrupted himself by a hand that wrapped itself around his neck. Ellie looked up to find the Goblin King standing before her, holding Fuzz in one hand.

"Let him go." Ellie stood up, glaring at him.

"Tsk, tsk, Eliana. Still trying to order around your superiors? We must work on that." He waved his hand around, jostling the poor goblin about. "Besides, what do you care how I handle my subjects?"

"I don't think it's right for you to treat things as disrespectfully as you do."

Jareth let out a scornful laugh. "You're one to speak about disrespect."

"I give respect to the people and creatures who deserve it," she spat. "Not douche-bag kings with egos the size of Russia."

"Watch your tongue, little girl," he growled dangerously.

"Threaten me all you want, Glitter Boy, but you're not helping your cause. You gain your power from fear, and that certainly does not equal respect in my book—that just entitles you to the 'Asshole of the Year' award."

Jareth's eyes darkened dangerously and his arm shot out, throwing Fuzz against the wall. The tiny goblin cried out in pain and then slid to the floor. As soon as Fuzz landed on the stone floor, Ellie's hand swung forward and collided with the side of the Goblin King's face.

The sound of the slap echoed through the tiny room and left a long silence in its wake. Jareth did not face Ellie for some time. Ellie watched him closely, her heart racing and her face burning with rage. When Jareth finally lifted his head and connected his eyes with Ellie's, the look he gave her was so murderous that Ellie began to fear that he was actually going to kill her.

Without a word, Jareth conjured up an orb. He threw it at the red haired girl who immediately recoiled in fear. A bright white light enveloped her and vanished just as quickly as it had come. The girl was gone, but on the floor rested her green dress. Jareth recomposed himself, spun on his heel, and walked out of the room as if nothing had occurred.

Fuzz scrambled to his feet once the King had left. He cautiously approached the dress, deeply saddened that the pretty Miss was gone. He gently placed a tiny paw on the soft fabric...and it began to move.

"Oh!" Fuzz cried in surprise.

A fluffy orange head poked out from the neck of the dress.

"Herro!" The creature smiled. "Who's you?" It then tilted its head to the side, seeming to be thinking deeply. "And who's me?"

…

The sun shone down on Sarah, a gentle breeze caressed her face. She smiled, feeling empowered and grateful.

After she had finished the glass of water, she'd dressed in the brown leggings and violet tunic that had been left for her. Once she stepped out of the tent she was greeted by two women who took her to a river to bathe. She was still slightly unsteady on her legs, so the sisters had had to catch her a few times, which was slightly embarrassing (she was also fairly shocked the first few times she saw them transform into various animals and objects). It was well worth it though; the water had felt so refreshing as it washed away the dirt and sweat that had clung to her skin.

Now cleaner and stronger on her legs, she was taken to the edge of the camp where all of the sisters waited to bid her farewell. Each had their own gift to bestow upon her, the first being an enchanted bag-that was bigger on the inside-to hold all of the gifts in. Most of the gifts had been food-which Sarah was very thankful for-but some supplied her with medical supplies, magical items and potions, cleansing products (such as soap), blankets, pillows, and articles of clothing.

She thanked each of the sisters before leaving the campsite. Rossa (she learned the woman's name after awkwardly asking for it as she had with Eolande) walked her back to the door that would return her to the Labyrinth.

"Thank you again for everything." Sarah smiled brightly at the Elf woman. "I can't express to you how much I appreciate your kindness and for saving me."

"It was our pleasure, Sarah." Rossa hugged her. "It isn't often that we are visited by a Champion of the Labyrinth."

They pulled apart and Sarah looked over at the brown wooden door.

"I guess I should go back now," she sighed, her heart sinking a little at the thought of leaving this beautiful place.

Rossa hesitated before saying, "I understand that you have a quest to complete, but please remember that if you ever wish to come back, we would love to initiate you as a sister. Goblin King be dammed."

Sarah laughed. "Thank you, Rossa."

"Take this stone." She pulled a small, smooth red stone out of her pouch. "All you have to do is hold it tightly in your hand, wish to be brought back to the Sisters of Rhiannon, and you shall return to us." Sarah took the stone and placed it in her bag.

"_Sarah!_" A high-pitched cry made both females turn. Eolande came toward them flying as fast as her wings would carry her. She dropped to the ground before them, panting heavily. Sarah immediately went to her knees, looking worriedly at the girl.

"Are you alright?" She reached out to help the blonde to her feet.

"I'll be f-fine." Eolande waved a hand, dismissing the matter. "I just wanted a proper goodbye."

Sarah smiled and pulled her into a tight hug. Eolande wrapped her tiny arms around Sarah's neck and whispered in her ear, "I wish I could go with you."

"Don't you like being with the Sisters?" Sarah whispered back.

"Of course! But I would like to help you. There are so many dangers within the Labyrinth." She kissed Sarah's cheek. "Be careful, Sarah. Rossa gave you the stone, did she not?"

"Yes."

"Please use it. As soon as you sense even the smallest danger-"

"Enough, Eolande," Rossa interrupted. "Let the Champion go. She only has so much time; every moment counts."

With one last kiss on the cheek Eolande unwrapped herself from Sarah. The brunette stood and she opened the wooden door. She took a step out and left the summer paradise. As soon as she shut the door behind her it faded away, and Sarah was left facing a blank stone wall.

"Time for a new adventure," she said to herself. She spun around and began walking down the dirt path before her, ready to face any new dangers the Labyrinth threw at her.

…

"Ludo not like this," the giant beast declared as he sat down on the dirt floor.

"Just be thankful it wasn't the Bog of Eternal stench," Hoggle said, holding up a torch in one hand, "or an oubliette. We got's tunnels to explore at least."

"Ludo miss Sawah."

Hoggle's shoulders drooped and he sighed, "Hoggle does too, Ludo. Hoggle does too." He reached over to grab hold of Ludo's massive paw. "But maybe this tunnel'll lead us to Sarah." _...or to whatever Jareth's left here for us, _he added silently. At that exact moment a low growl was heard from somewhere in the nearby dark. Hoggle swallowed hard. "Ludo? Was that your stomach?"

Ludo shook his furry head just as a large gust of wind blew out the torch.


	10. No Loud Talk!

**Chapter 10: No Loud Talk!**

_Disclaimer: I do not own _Labyrinth_._

For once in her life, Karen didn't have a plan. She stared out the windshield watching people sitting on their porches, walking their dogs, and children playing in the yard. She abruptly stopped the car in front of a large red house thinking that she'd spotted Toby inside a plastic house on the front lawn. She watched the little boy step out into the sun and realized that he looked nothing like her son. She pressed her foot down on the gas and the car rolled forward.

She came to a four way intersection and stopped. She looked down each street, not sure which one to go down.

_They all look the same_, she thought, lying her head against the steering wheel. _Where am I supposed to go?_

She'd needed to get out of the house, she'd needed to do something that would make her feel in control of the situation. The only thing she could think of was driving around the neighborhood to see if she could find the children, or at least a clue as to where they might have gone (she wasn't exactly sure what that clue would look like, but she needed to at least search for it). The driving had been fairly mindless; no thinking, just looking and moving forward.

But now she was faced with a choice, now she was forced to think, and that was something she couldn't do at the moment. She'd never felt so helpless and without direction. With the children missing and Robert off doing God knew what, Karen felt absolutely lost.

The honk of a car horn behind her made her jump. She glanced in her rear view mirror at the annoyed driver who pantomimed pushing her out of the way. It was an older woman, her wrinkles sagging around her frown, and her shaky hands moving toward the right. _Right. _

Karen put on her right turn signal and turned the car down that street. Once she was moving forward again, she breathed out a sigh of relief and continued her mindless driving and searching.

…

"Stay back! I said 'back,' you wicked wenches!" A faint but familiar voice echoed down the pathway to Sarah. She ran toward the voice, her heart beating excitedly. She rounded a corner and was faced with the entrance to a dark forest. Between two old oak trees a tiny fox-like creature was sitting atop a large, shaggy dog. He had a small sword raised up toward three floating forms who took turns flying in closer to him.

One dove down and flew quickly around him while another swooped down and took his sword.

"Oh, dost thou wish to play _that _game? Well come down here once more, and prepare to meet your end!"

Upon walking closer to the scene, Sarah saw that the forms were green, round-faced harpy-like creatures; they had the bodies of birds, the faces of women, and weren't any bigger than a dove. Sarah looked around for weapon of some sort-she found a long stick lying nearby.

"That'll do," she murmured to herself as she grabbed the stick. Slowly creeping up to the group, she raised the stick high and swung at the harpies. They let out a collective _squawk_ of in surprise and dropped to the ground.

Sarah knelt down and they all jumped up, ready to attack. She bopped each one of them on the head with her stick and they all spun in a dizzy circle before falling over. Sarah looked up at the fox who was watching her through one wide eye.

"Don't worry," she said with a smile, "they're only unconscious."

"Lady Sarah!" He jumped off the dog and leaped over to the girl to hug her.

"How are you, Sir Didymus?" she asked, holding the fox tightly to her.

He pulled back to look at her. "Where hast thou been all this time, my Lady?"

Her shoulders drooped. "I know I haven't called on you in a while and I'm really sorry for that. But I promise that that will change. Now that Ellie knows-"

"Ellie? Who is this 'Ellie' that thou dost speak of?"

"She's my friend, and the reason that I've returned. She accidentally wished herself away and the Goblin King took her. He's also taken Toby again, and sent Hoggle and Ludo who knows where..."

"The scoundrel!" Sir Didymus cried angrily. "We must journey to the castle at once!" He jumped back up on the shaggy dog.

Sarah looked at her friend sadly. "You can't come with me, Sir Didymus."

"Why ever not?" he asked, whimpering slightly.

"Because the Goblin King-"

"I shall allow you to have this one, Precious," Jareth spoke from behind her, making her jump.

Sarah turned around, holding her stick tightly in her hand. "Why?"

"Despite your protestations for the contrary, I am a generous man, Sarah." He smirked. "And I also believe that he will be more of a hindrance than a helpful companion."

Sir Didymus growled but Jareth ignored him, preferring to keep his attention on Sarah. He circled around her, running his eyes up and down the length of her body.

"What do you want, Goblin King?"

He paused and crossed his arms, pursing his lips in thought. "How are you enjoying my Labyrinth so far, Sarah?"

She tried to hide the smile that tugged at the corners of her mouth. "I can't answer that question honestly."

"And why not?"

"Because if I do, you'll throw a temper-tantrum, and set the Cleaners or something worse after me." It was her turn to smirk. "You know, you're a lot like Toby, just with bigger toys." As soon as the words left her mouth, Sarah blushed.

"Bigger 'toys' indeed..." Jareth stepped closer to her, his eyes watching her hungrily. "But I'm surprised at you, Sarah. I thought you enjoyed challenges."

"I do." Sarah looked straight into his mismatched eyes, refusing to be intimidated. "But I don't enjoy putting myself or others in harm's way. And that is exactly what would happen if I answered honestly."

"But I commend honesty." He leaned in closer, breathing in her scent; the magic on her was sweet and strong, and he was pleased (but not surprised) to find a hint of himself in there. "Sometimes I even reward it." His finger drew a path down her neck, to the top of her blouse.

Sarah's eyes closed, waiting in hope for him to press his lips to her own. He brushed his lips across hers, down to her jawline, and up to the hollow under her ear. Sarah's hands automatically lifted to meet the sides of his face, pulling it closer to hers. She heard a sharp intake of breath somewhere to her right and a soft whimper that was abruptly silenced. Her mind was racing too fast for the sounds to register, however.

_This is wrong. _A voice echoed in her mind. _He is the enemy. He took Ellie and your baby brother. His Labyrinth has tried to kill you twice already. God only knows what he's doing with Hoggle and Ludo at the moment. _Sarah's hands traveled to the Goblin King's chest. _But...oh god, his tongue... _The voice gave her a mental slap. _What are you, a hormonal thirteen year old girl? Are you willing to sacrifice friends and family—who have helped you through multiple challenges, and love you unconditionally—for make-out time with a man who's twice stolen Toby, unfairly tricked you, and behaves wickedly, expecting you to believe he is being generous? The answer is 'no', Sarah. Stop making kissy faces at him and save your friends! _Her eyes immediately flashed open and she pushed the Goblin King away.

"Whatever is the matter, Precious?" He smirked. "Struggling to catch your breath?"

Sarah shook her head and bent over to pick up her fallen stick. "Resisting the urge to bruise that pretty face of yours."

That had obviously _not _been the answer he had been looking for; he dropped his smirk and narrowed his eyes.

"Why the sudden change, Sarah? You seemed perfectly content in stroking my 'pretty face' just a few moments ago." He crossed behind her and whispered in her ear, "_Moaning _over it, in fact."

A pink tint colored Sarah's cheeks. "I did _not_. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some friends to save from a cheating Goblin King."

"What have I done that you consider 'cheating,' Sarah?"

Sarah crossed her arms. "I know you sent that bird."

Jareth's expression betrayed nothing. "Did I now? How are you so sure?"

"I...I just am."

"That isn't very convincing, Precious." He stepped forward. "Why do you truly believe that I sent the bird?"

"Who else would have sent him other than you? You, the fearsome Goblin King, the ruler of this Labyrinth, and my _enemy_." Sarah gave him a haughty look. "It's only logical that you would have been the one to send him."

"Still so quick to call me a villain, Sarah?" Something like sorrow flickered in his eyes and quickly disappeared.

"Why shouldn't I? You tried to _kill _me." Her voice broke on the word but her face revealed nothing. "You are a selfish trickster who will stop at nothing to win."

Jareth's eyes hardened. "I assure you, Sarah, I would never go as far as killing you. Did that bird not try to alert you which food was safe to eat? You need to learn not to judge others so quickly, Sarah; they may have more to them than you give them credit for."

She seemed unfazed by his words. "Why wouldn't you kill me? There's no reason for you to keep me alive." Sarah put her hands on her hips and looked as if she were challenging him.

The glare melted away and was replaced with sarcastic amusement. He walked behind her and murmured in her ear, "If you were to die, who else would give me such pleasure to defeat in the future?"

Sarah shivered. "Are you under the serious delusion that this will be happening often? I can tell you right now, Goblin King, once I've defeated you this time, I'm _never _coming back."

"Don't be so certain of yourself, Precious," Jareth chuckled. "No matter how far you run, or how hard you try to forget, the Labyrinth will always be calling to you. You _belon__g_ here, Sarah. Surrender now and stay..." He trailed a finger up her arm.

Sarah jumped away. "No. I belong with Toby, Ellie and my parents in the Aboveground. This whole place is filled with nothing but silly childhood nonsense that I need to give up. I'm going to defeat you, save Toby and Ellie, return home, go to college, and live out the rest of my life normally and Underground-free."

"M-my Lady?" a quiet voice asked from behind Sarah. She turned around to find Sir Didymus looking at her with deep hurt in his eyes.

"Didymus...I didn't mean..." Sarah tried to explain but all words evaded her.

"What's said is said, Sarah." Jareth smirked tauntingly.

"You're a twisted bastard, Goblin King." Sarah wheeled around to face him. "_Leave. Now._"

"I don't believe you have the authority to order me around," Jareth spoke through his teeth. "Especially not when I bring you gifts." A crystal appeared in his right hand and he threw it down the Labyrinth path Sarah had just come from. There was a puff of smoke that came from around the corner, followed by an echoing roar.

"I would suggest you run now, Sarah. My little pet doesn't seem to be very pleased this morning." With that, the Goblin King vanished in a shower of glitter. Sarah growled before running alongside Sir Didymus and Ambrosius through the entrance to the forest.

…

When he arrived back at the castle, Jareth found Orla sitting in his throne. She was still wearing what she referred to as her "queen attire." Today that was a dark blue dress that had a long train, see-through sleeves, a strip of purple and blue sequins that ran from her chest down to the middle of her thigh, and where the sequins stopped there was no material, just a square in the dress that revealed her milky white legs. Typically when she visited Jareth she wore more casual attire; her current state of dress alerted Jareth that she'd come on short notice.

Goblins ran around her, creating complete chaos. Some drank ale in the corner, others chased each other with utensils, and still others appeared to be playing a game that involved a bottle and kissing chickens. The noise in the room did nothing to aid the headache Jareth felt coming on. Orla sat calmly in the throne, ignoring all else in the room aside from the King of the obnoxious creatures around her.

"_Silence!_" Jareth bellowed. All movement and sound in the room ceased. "Out." He pointed at the door. Grumbling and muttering under their breath, the goblins picked up their things and trudged out of the room. When they were gone, the Goblin King shut the doors.

"Hello, Orla," Jareth said, still standing by the doors.

"Hello, Darling." Orla crossed her legs.

"What brings you here?"

"A rather...interesting and slightly unnerving piece of news." Orla's expression of casual indifference did not waver. This made Jareth slightly nervous; she never used such an expression with him.

"And what might that be?"

"I mustn't tell you here." Orla uncrossed her legs and stood up. "We must go to the Alliance. You've made quite a mess, Jareth."

_They know_, Jareth thought, trying to keep his expression neutral. He waited patiently for her to cross over to him.

Orla slipped her tiny, cold hand into his and the two of them were transported to the Allience meeting space. It was a great hall with a long, glossy wooden table in the center. Many different types of creatures in elaborate clothing were seated on either side of said table. Their gazes all turned to Jareth, staring at him in accusation and hungry curiosity. Above them hung two massive, glittering chandeliers. The walls were lined with dozens of windows and large stone statues. A few feet away from the end of one table was a slightly raised stone circle that held a large, ornately decorated throne. Currently a handsome older man sat in the throne, his clothing just as showy as the chair he was seated in.

"King Jareth," the man spoke, his voice a deep bass, "come forward." The man waved his hand and a chair appeared beside the stone platform. Jareth left Orla's side and walked over the chair, but remained standing.

"Please sit," the man said. Jareth obeyed, ignoring the eyes that followed his every move.

"I suppose you must be wondering why this meeting has been called on such short notice," the man focused his golden honey eyes on the Goblin King. "Though I believe you already know the reason. Care to wager a guess?"

"I have transformed a human girl into a goblin without just cause," Jareth replied calmly.

"Indeed you have." The High King frowned. "But that is only _one_ of the reasons why you have been brought before the Alliance."

"What other offenses have I committed?" Jareth held his gaze unwaveringly, as if challenging him.

"Only one. And it is not technically considered an offense, as it is not written into any formal agreement that the Alliance has created. However, it is a matter that should have been brought to the attention of the Alliance: You neglected to tell us that the Champion has returned to the Labyrinth."

A murmur spread through the royals collected around the table. The High King silenced them by raising his hand.

"How does this matter concern the Alliance?" Jareth asked, an edge to his voice. "Her presence affects only my kingdom."

"You cannot expect me to believe that you have not noticed her power."

Jareth leaned back in his chair nonchalantly. "I bestowed some magic upon her before her first visit to the Labyrinth."

"We are aware of this," the High King said through gritted teeth, "that is what makes her _the _Champion and what allowed her to destroy your kingdom. This power is new and stronger than even my own. It could tear down the entire Underground!"

Jareth raised an eyebrow. "Has she given you cause to believe that she would?"

"Not _yet_-"

"Does she even appear to be aware of this power?"

"Not _exactly_-"

"Your concern seems to stem from 'what ifs' rather than solid facts," Jareth stood up and looked at the High King defiantly. "You have no cause to meddle with Sarah's current visit, so I suggest, Your Highness, that you bring this meeting to an end."

The murmurs started up again and the High King had to shout to silence them. He turned a heated glare toward Jareth.

"She threatens the safety of all inhabitants of the Underground with her very _presence_!" he bellowed. "That supplies the Alliance with more than enough cause to deal with her!"

"And how do you intend to do that?" Jareth stood up on his chair, eliciting a few gasps. "I swear to you, if she is harmed, I-"

"Sit down at once, Jareth!" The High King's voice echoed through the great hall.

Jareth glared at him for one moment longer before dropping gracefully back down into his chair. The High King drew in a deep breath to calm himself.

"Now," he finally spoke, "I understand your concern, King Jareth. The old methods for dealing with such power were rather gruesome, but that was before the Alliance was created. We now handle things as peacefully as possible."

Jareth snorted. _Tell that to the Sisters of Aine_.

The High King narrowed his eyes at the Goblin King. "That is why I propose we incorporate the Champion into Underground society."

This caused the royals to begin talking amongst themselves excitedly.

"'Where would she go?' I hear some of you ask," the High King said loudly, silencing the room. "'It would be unfair to place her in any one kingdom,' others say. Indeed her power is too great to have it controlled by only one part of the Underground. Therefore I have come to the conclusion that the only logical thing to do would be for her to become a ruler of the entire Underground, to become my wife."

Jareth jumped to his feet. "_What?_" he cried.

"Surely you cannot find fault with this course of action, King Jareth," the High King said, his eyes taunting the Goblin King. "No harm will come to her, she will be well taken care of, and she will become High Queen."

Jareth glared daggers at the older man until a thought suddenly occurred to him. He turned away from the High King and fell back down into his chair, laughing.

"And what do you find so amusing?" The High King frowned.

"Sarah will never consent to the marriage." Jareth grinned, thinking of how stubborn the young girl was.

"Ah, but that is where your other offense comes in."

Jareth's smile disappeared and he looked back up at the High King. "What do you mean?"

"Instead of changing the other human girl back into her normal form, we shall use this to get the Champion to agree to the marriage."

"You can't do that!" Jareth cried. "What if she defeats the Labyrinth? Under the laws of the Labyrinth, I am bound to-"

"Release her friends, which you shall do. However, you are not required to turn her friend back into a human...unless she consents to the marriage." The High King leaned back in his throne, smiling triumphantly. "Be glad, King Jareth, you will not be punished."

_Then why do I feel as though I am?_ Jareth thought with a frown.

"I call for a vote," the High King addressed the rest of the Alliance. "All in favor of the proposed plan?"

A mass of hands were raised and a chorus of "ayes" rang out.

"All opposed?"

Jareth raised his hand and said, "Nay." He was surprised to find the word echoed by another member sitting at the table. He looked over to see Orla, her hand raised high in the air, staring directly at the High King.

"I believe the 'ayes' have it." The High King smiled condescendingly at Jareth. "Once she defeats-"

"_If _she does," Jareth corrected.

The High King looked at Jareth dangerously, "She will. And once she does, you will release her friends and inform her of the situation at hand, and we shall move forward from there. Meeting adjourned."

Jareth buried his head in his hands. He felt as though his mind was in danger of exploding, and his heart was in danger of falling out of his chest. What was he going to do?

He felt a comforting hand on his back. He lifted his head to find Orla standing above him, her brow knitted in concern.

"Let us return to your kingdom," she said.

"What about yours?" he asked, standing up.

"Worry not about my kingdom. You have quite enough to worry about as it is." She leaned over to kiss his cheek and the couple vanished from the hall.

…

Back at the castle beyond the Goblin City, a couple of furry goblins were playing with a chicken. The red fluffy one was riding atop the frightened chicken's back while the other chased the two around.

"I is Queen o' da chickens!" the red one shouted. "Run like da wind, Fwancis!"

"Fuzz is going to catch you!" the black one shouted in response.

The red one looked back at the black on to stick her tongue out at him. She lost her balance though and fell backwards off the chicken.

"Oh noes!" the red goblin cried as she landed on the floor. The chicken ran away squawking.

"Is Fluffy okay?" he asked his companion as he scrambled over to her.

"I...I sees a light..." Fluffy raised a tiny paw in the air, staring at an invisible entity above her. "Is pretty..."

"No, Fluffy, no! Stay with Fuzz." Fuzz began to weep.

Fluffy sat up and looked at him, smiling. "I is okay, Silly!"

Fuzz wiped the tears from his eyes and sniffed.

"You's is such a cry-baby," Fluffy rolled her eyes.

"No, Fuzz is not!"

"Is too!"

"Is not!"

"Izzzzzzz toooooooo!"

"IZZZZZ NOOOOOT!"

"_No loud talk!_" Fluffy screamed, plugging her ears.

Fuzz sighed and took Fluffy's paws away from her ears. "Fuzz is sorry. Will Fluffy come get food with Fuzz?"

Fluffy blinked. "I race you to da food place!" And she took off.

Fuzz sighed again, but this time he was smiling. He ran after his friend.

**Author's Note: **Please, please, _please _review! Let me know what you like or what you don't like. I'll give you Francis the Chicken if you do :D


	11. Supwise!

**Chapter 11: Supwise!**

_Disclaimer: I do not own _Labyrinth.

**Author's Note**: I just wanted to say thank you for the lovely reviews. I'm so glad that you guys are enjoying the story (especially goblin-Ellie)! It keeps me writing :)

Sarah heard a loud noise that sounded like a vacuum cleaner coming toward them. Sir Didymus squirmed in her grasp; she was holding him tightly against her chest with one hand around his muzzle. Ambrosius was cowering against her side, his shaking fur tickling the skin of her arm. The trio was hiding in a tree hollow at the base of an old sycamore. The opening was just big enough for Sarah to squeeze through, providing her with some relief as the creature following them sounded too large to fit.

_It must be trying to trace our scent_, Sarah thought as the vacuum cleaner noise got closer. Sir Didymus made a soft noise of frustration but Sarah ignored him. She held her breath as a long, turquoise snout snaked its way into the hollow. The snout fumbled around on the ground for a moment then rose up, pointing straight at Sarah. It hovered there for a moment before sliding back out the opening. Sarah heard heavy footsteps retreating away from the tree. When she thought that they were far enough away, she released Sir Didymus and let out a great sigh of relief.

"There is no bravery in hiding." He looked at Sarah accusingly.

"We couldn't have faced that creature," Sarah argued. "We don't even know what it was!"

"'Tis better to die a hero than live a coward!" Sir Didymus cried, striking a heroic pose.

At that exact moment Sarah heard the footsteps returning, this time at a run. She screamed as the tree around them shook after the creature ran into it. The snout returned, this time moving rapidly, slamming into the inside walls of the tree.

Sarah watched as Sir Didymus pulled out his sword and swung it at the flash of blue. It sliced across the side of the snout and a loud roar could be heard from outside. The snout retreated, Sir Didymus following close behind.

"Sir Didymus! No!" Sarah cried. She ran to the opening and poked her head out. She saw the one-eyed fox stabbing at one of the creature's feet. The creature itself looked like a giant, blue, naked anteater. It had no eyes as far as Sarah could tell and its snout was almost as long as an elephant's. Its snout flew down to where Sir Didymus was attacking and wrapped around him. It lifted him off the ground and swung him around in the air.

Sarah quickly ran out of the tree, the stick she had picked up earlier raised high. She made her way to the animal's side, planning on hitting it in the stomach, but the animal jumped away just in time. It swung its snout-which still held Sir Didymus—at her, but she bent down low, avoiding it. The creature threw its head back and let out a great roar. Sarah took that moment to slam her stick into its side. Throwing Sir Didymus off to the side, the creature leaped forward at her. It managed to knock her off her feet but she rolled out of the way before it could trample her.

The creature seemed to pause, breathing heavily. Sarah took this opportunity to get to her feet. She took a step forward and tread on a fallen tree branch, which made a small cracking sound. The creature, who had been facing the other direction, immediately turned itself to face her.

_It can't see me so it must be relying on its hearing, _she reasoned. With this in mind, she held her breath and began to creep forward on tip-toe. She eventually reached the creature and carefully positioned herself so that she had a clear shot at one of its legs. She swung back her stick and let it slam into the target. The creature let out a roar and Sarah hit another leg. With one more roar, the creature lost its balance-its legs too injured to stand on—and fell to the ground. It lifted its head once as if to stand up, but quickly gave up and laid back down. Sarah slowly stood, a triumphant smile on her face. She rushed over to where her fox friend had been thrown. He appeared to have lost consciousness for a while but was now slowly regaining it. He shook his head as if to shake off sleep and looked up at Sarah, who knelt down beside him.

"Are you alright?" she asked, knitting her brow in worry.

"I am fine, Lady Sarah," he replied, sitting up. "What hath become of the vicious beast?"

"I defeated it." She grinned proudly.

A loud cry echoed through the area.

"It would appear thou hath done so." Sir Didymus looked over at the fallen creature.

The cry rang out again, this time incredibly mournful. It pierced through Sarah's heart. She slowly rose and began to walk over to the blue body. She felt Sir Didymus by her side and the two made their way to the creature's head.

It seemed to have heard their approaching footsteps for as they reached it, the creature shot out its snout. The pair paused and waited for the snout to fall before they got any closer. When the the blue nose dropped to the ground, Sarah carefully stepped over it and knelt down by the creature's head. Sir Didymus came to sit beside her.

The creature's labored breathing moved its entire body. It let out a few soft moans, and Sarah was sure that if it had eyes it would have been crying.

"I...I didn't mean to... It was so aggressive, I..." Sarah fumbled her way over the words, searching for a reasonable explanation, but finding none. She cautiously held out her hand and gently pressed it against the creature's cheek. The creature twitched slightly but otherwise remained still.

"I am so sorry," she whispered, a few tears sliding down her cheeks. "If only I could heal you."

_Heal_. The word sparked in her mind. Cold spread through her body, making her shiver. Her eyes closed and she crawled over to the creature's legs. She lifted a hand and rested it on one of the injured legs. As soon as her cool skin connected with the creature's warmth she felt a transfer of energy from her body to the creature's.

_No, not 'creature.' Him. Lehtor_. The name appeared in her mind as if it had been there all along. _Not angry. Not wanting to hurt. Disoriented. Frightened._

She ran her hand across Lehtor's rough skin down to the next leg. She felt the jolt that signified the energy leaving her and entering him.

_Grateful. Friend?_

A smile lit up Sarah's face. "Yes, Lehtor. I'm your friend. My name is Sarah."

_Sarah help. Sarah kind._

She frowned. "No, I'm not kind, Lehtor. I hurt you and I meant to."

_Forgiveness. Thankful for Sarah. The Champion._

Sarah's hand jerked away from Lehtor's leg and her eyes flew open. It was complete. _What's complete? _She asked herself. She blinked a few times, surprise widening them.

"What was that?" She breathed, looking over at Sir Didymus. He looked just as shocked.

There was a groan from the big blue being before them as he slowly stood up. Sarah and Sir Didymus backed away slightly, watching him anxiously. Once on his feet, he turned around so that he was facing their general direction. He held out his snout and wiggled it from side to side and walked forward. The cold blue snout touched Sarah's cheek gently. Lehtor walked closer to them until he was close enough to stick out his tongue and lick the side of Sarah's face.

"Ew, Lehtor!" she giggled.

…

Jareth couldn't help but smile at the scene playing out in the glass orb. He should have known that his Sarah would have befriended the beast. _His _Sarah. That thought made his smile grow.

The pressure of a head resting against his shoulder instantly removed the smile.

"She appears to have made a discovery," Orla said softly.

"It was only a matter of time." Jareth threw the orb into the air and it disappeared.

"If that is any indication as to how she will use those powers, then the Alliance has no reason to fear her."

"That was exactly why I opposed the High King's proposal." Jareth gritted his teeth at the memory.

Orla lifted her head off his shoulder and stared his his tense form.

"Oh, come here," she said, wrapping her arms around him, and pulling his head to rest beneath her chin. "I'm certain that this will all work its way out. That Sarah is too clever to be trapped by the High King. Before you know it, she'll be running circles about him while he stands at the altar, completely baffled."

Jareth's head rose and fell with her gentle laughter. He remained silent for a moment, lost within the sea of his own thoughts. Orla ran her fingers through his hair soothingly.

Eventually he spoke, "Why did you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Oppose the High King."

"You know how I feel about him."

"Yes but it isn't often that you oppose one of his plans."

It was Orla's turn to be silent as she sifted through her thoughts. She continued to play with Jareth's hair.

"It isn't right for a person to be forced into marriage," she said. "That may be the way the humans treat the sacred ritual in the Aboveground, but that is not how we treat it down here. Both men and women should have the right to choose whom they marry."

"I would not go so far as to say that arranged marriages do not occur down here," Jareth said, feeling the cold metal of Orla's ring against his scalp. "Sarah's spirit is much too free for her to enter into such a marriage, even if it is her duty."

"She sounds like a perfect candidate for the Sisters of Aine. It would get her out of having to fulfill the proposal..."

"That could be arranged," Jareth replied thoughtfully.

"I wasn't being serious." Orla hit his arm playfully. "Becoming a sister is almost as binding as marriage. Sarah would be best suited to return to the Aboveground where she may live her life with the rituals that she has grown accustomed to."

Jareth pulled away from Orla and leaned back in his throne. She slid off the arm of the throne and moved to stand in front of him.

"What is wrong?" She crossed her arms. "Don't you agree that she should have the freedom to choose?"

"Of course I do." He ran a hand down his face. "I merely...I..."

Orla waited for his response, her lips pursed and her eyes scrutinized him. Unseen by both royal figures, a ball of orange fluff slowly rose up from behind the chair, peeking around the corner where the arm and the back of the throne met. The small, beady eyes moved back and forth between the two beings as if waiting for something to happen. When nothing did, the little goblin jumped out from her hiding space and cried, "PEEK-A-BOO!"

Orla shrieked in surprise. Jareth merely turned his head to look at the creature. Fluffy's arms were outstretched in a "ta-da" pose and there was a wide smile on her face.

"Herro!" Fluffy waved at the annoyed Goblin King. "I is Fwuffy. Who's you?"

"Fluffy!" A second high-pitched voice whispered sharply from behind the throne. "Get down!"

"You's a scaredy cat, Fuzz." Fluffy rolled her eyes.

"Fuzz is not." A black ball of fuzz came padding its way out from its hiding spot. "Fluffy is talking to King while King is busy. Fluffy will get in trouble!"

"He no busy! Him and Lady were no talk so I's surpwise them!"

Before any more was said, Jareth grabbed the orange goblin and raised her into the air as if to throw her.

"Jareth!" Orla shouted. She marched over to the confused Goblin King and took the goblin from him. "There's no need to throw the poor creature!" She cradled Fluffy in her arms.

"But she-"

"I don't want to hear any excuses, Jareth."

"No 'scuses, Kingy!" Fluffy repeated, earning her a laugh from the Elven Queen.

"She's so precious." Orla tickled the little orange ball of fluff, and it squirmed and giggled in response.

"I doubt you would find her quite as endearing if she were still in her human form." Jareth crossed his arms, looking rather like a pouting child. "If she'd behaved better, the High King would have nothing to hold over Sarah's head."

Orla looked up at him in surprise. "Is this...?"

"Orla, meet Eliana. Or, 'Fluffy', as she has been dubbed by her goblin friends."

"Why hello, Eliana!" Orla spoke as she would have to child.

"I's no Ehwiana," the goblin said. "I's Fwuffy."

"Oh, do forgive me, Fluffy," the Queen corrected herself with a smile. She sat down beside the throne and continued to chat with the little fluffy goblin. Jareth groaned and placed his head in his hands.

…

"Thou hast much changed since last we met, Lady Sarah," Sir Didymus commented, looking up at the brunette.

Sarah looked down at her hands guiltily. She was riding on top of Lehtor, trying to make herself as light as possible for him. He had bent down next to her, inviting her to climb on his back, but she had protested, saying that he was still injured. He would have none of it though and picked her up with his snout, placing her on top of him. She could do nothing but thank him and allow him to walk forward. And after much coaxing, Sir Didymus had managed to get the terrified Ambrosius to come out of the hollow. He was now riding on top of him beside Sarah and Lehtor.

"I'm sorry for my earlier outburst." She turned her head to look directly at Sir Didymus. "You, Ambrosius, Ludo, and Hoggle were my first true friends. I would never want to give any of you up—you mean too much to me. I love you all. The Goblin King just made me so _angry_!"

Sir Didymus nodded. "Do believe that I am sincere in my acceptance of thee's apology, but that was not the change I was speaking of."

"What do you mean?" She knitted her brow.

"Take for example, how thou hast healed our newest friend." The fox gestured to Lehtor. "Thou also communicated with him through the mind. I do not recall thou having such abilities before."

"I didn't." She shook her head. "I don't know where that came from. Maybe it has something to do with Lehtor."

The creature grunted as if to deny the accusation.

Sir Didymus hesitated before speaking again. "There was...something else."

"What?"

"Just before Sir Lehtor arrived...when King Jareth was here..."

Sarah's body tensed. "What about the arrogant jerk?"

"Well, when His Majesty and thyself were not engaged in the battle of wits...there appeared to be an engagement of another kind-"

"Oh," Sarah jumped in quickly, blushing, "that."

"Yes, _that_. Hast thou been in..._contact_ with him during the months in which thou did not call upon us?"

"Oh, no! Of course not!" She cried defensively. "It was...it was just another tactic that His High-And-Mightiness is using to throw me off."

"Doth thou believe that he will repeat these..._tactics_?" Sir Didymus stood up on Ambrosius' back. "For I shall defend thee's virtue from the scoundrel! Unless, of course, thou enjoys such attention from the King."

"No, I...I mean..." Sarah twisted her stick around in her hands nervously. "Thank you for the offer of protection, Sir Didymus, but I believe I can handle him myself."

"But his passionate embraces incapacitate thee," Sir Didymus argued. "Thou dost not seem to understand the strength of King Jareth's power of seduction."

"I would very much appreciate it if we could change this topic of discussion." Sarah's face was now a brilliant shade of red. She didn't want to discuss her hormones with her friend-that would have been even worse than having the "sex talk" with Karen.

"Let us talk of the months that we have spent apart, then." Sir Didymus settled back down on the shaggy down. "What hast thou been doing as of late? Tell me more of this Ellie."

And so the two continued on down the path, laughing and talking like the old friends that they were.

**Author's Note: **As always, I really, really appreciate any and all reviews! :)


	12. Daddy Dearest

**Chapter 12: Daddy Dearest**

_Disclaimer: I do not own _Labyrinth_._

**Author's Note: **I wanted to give a special shout out to **Stacy Vorosco **who has been a frequent reviewer since the beginning. I really appreciate all of the feedback. You rock my universe-world :)

I also wanted to do a little "advertising" for a one-shot that I just wrote. It's called "Walking in a Winter Wonderland" and yes, it is a fluffy little Christmas fic between Jareth and Sarah. It has nothing to do with this story but I'd love it if you would read&review it. I hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday, no matter what you celebrate. :D

Now, enough of my blather, let us move on to the story!

"There it is!" Sarah cried excitedly. "The castle beyond the Goblin City. We're so close!"

The group had stopped at the top of a tall hill to rest. Sarah had pulled some food out of her bag and shared it with the others. The view from the hill had been hidden by a thick fog at first, but slowly it had drifted away, revealing the journey that lay ahead of the group. The familiar castle loomed in the distance.

_At least one thing didn't change,_ Sarah thought with a smirk.

"Let us venture forward, then!" Sir Didymus declared as he climbed up on Ambrosius' back.

Lehtor bent down, waiting patiently for Sarah to climb on his back. Sarah smiled and ran a hand across the top of his head.

"Thank you, Lehtor, but I'd like to stretch my legs a bit."

Lehtor grunted, sounding slightly offended, but stood up. The group began to make their way down the steep slope. They were cautious in their descent-lest they lose their footing and seriously injure themselves—and all safely reached the bottom. They now faced a long stone wall with a wide opening to the left of where they were standing.

"This _must_ mean that we're heading into the final part of the Labyrinth," Sarah said cheerfully. She began running toward the opening, too excited to simply walk. She was so close to saving her friends, to defeating the Labyrinth once again. Nothing could stop her now! Not even...

Sarah froze just inside the opening. Standing in front of her was a familiar brown haired man. Even with his back to her she knew exactly who he was.

"Dad," she whispered, slowly approaching the man. "What...what are you doing here?" She dropped her stick and her bag.

"Sarah?" He slowly turned around, confusion apparent on his face. "Oh, thank God. Sarah!" He wrapped her up in a tight hug.

His strong arms provided her with more love and protection than she'd felt since she'd arrived in the Labyrinth. She suddenly felt as though she were six years old again and he was comforting her after a particularly frightening nightmare. For a moment she forgot that she was still in the Labyrinth and not at home, surrounded by the warmth of their living room. But he pulled away, breaking the spell and reminding her that she was still very far from home.

"Your mother and I have been so worried!" He brushed a few stray strands of hair from her face. "We've been looking everywhere for you. Where are Toby and Ellie? And..." He looked around at their surroundings. "...where are _we_?"

"It's alright, Dad," she said, smiling comfortingly. "Toby and Ellie are fine." _I hope_, she added silently. "We're...well, do you remember that book I used to read all the time?"

"The, uh..._The Mousetrap_?" he asked, scratching his head.

"No." Sarah chuckled and shook her head. "_The Labyrinth._"

"Oh, yes! The one with the goblins and things."

"Yeah, that one. Well...it turns out that the book wasn't entirely fictional."

There was a slight pause.

"You have got to be kidding me, Sarah." Robert stared at his daughter wide-eyed. He looked as though she'd told him that she had married a lobster.

"It's true! Just sit down and listen." She pointed at the ground, waiting for her father to comply. When he had settled down on the dirt floor she launched into the story of her first journey through the Labyrinth. He remained silent through the entire tale, his expression unreadable. Sarah found herself giving dramatic reenactments of certain moments, and using different voices when speaking for various creatures. She made sure to leave out some of the more intimate exchanges she'd shared with Jareth; she was talking to her _father,_ after all. By the time she reached the end she was completely out of breath. She looked at her father expectantly.

Robert pinched the bridge of his nose. "Sarah, I'm going to ask you a question, and I want you to answer it honestly: Have you been smoking marijuana?"

"_Dad!_" Sarah shouted, highly offended that her father a) didn't believe her, and b) thought that she was high.

"Well, have you?" He stood up, brushing off his pants. "I can't think of another reason why you'd have imagined such a crazy adventure. I mean, you've always been creative and a bit over-dramatic, but you seem to truly believe that you actually went into your favorite book. And you described it in too much detail for it to have just been a dream, so that just leaves drug use."

"I have _never_ used any form of drug _ever_." She crossed her arms like an upset child. "And we're in the Labyrinth right now! If I were hallucinating all of this then that would mean that you would have to be, too. And even if we were hallucinating, why would we be sharing the same hallucination? We would have to have been smoking together, which is something you would never do with me. At least, I _hope _not. Therefore one of us would have to be dreaming. And that would mean that one of us would have to be a 'dream-being,' and if I were a 'dream-Sarah' then everything that I just told you would be a creation of your own mind. Therefore you would have no reason to believe that I had been smoking and-"

"Okay! Alright! I got it." He rubbed his temples. "Yeah, you're the real Sarah alright. And we're in the Labyrinth."

Sarah smiled triumphantly. A silence fell between them as Robert allowed Sarah's story to fully settle in his mind.

"You wished Toby away?" he asked. "He was just a baby!"

Her smile disappeared. "Well I didn't know that the words were going to work! I did save him, didn't I? And _before_ you and Karen got home."

"That part doesn't surprise me." He smiled proudly at her. "No one stands a chance against you, Sweetheart. Not even that Jared guy."

"It's Jareth, Dad," Sarah corrected him with a giggle.

"But why did he bring you back here? Did you wish both Ellie _and_ Toby away?"

Sarah shook her head. "Ellie found my copy of the book and wished _herself_ away."

"Why in the world would she do that?"

"She didn't know that the words worked."

"Did she wish Toby away, too?"

"No, I..." She paused, knowing how her father would react if he knew that she'd wished Toby away twice (even if it was on accident). "Jareth just took him when he came to claim Ellie."

Robert's face turned slightly red. "He can't _do _that! Isn't that against some sort of law?"

"I'm sure it is, but the Goblin King isn't exactly known for following the rules." She crossed her arms and frowned, a distant echo of the phrase "it's not fair" running through her mind.

"I can see that." Robert ran a hand through his hair. "I wasn't wished away. At least...I don't think I was. Karen never enjoyed your fairy tales so I doubt she would even know about the Labyrinth." He frowned at the memory of their fight.

"How _did _you get here?"

"I...I don't really know," he said thoughtfully. "I was lying on the bed...and I closed my eyes, just for a moment. Suddenly I found myself here...and that guy, that Goblin King was standing in front of me. At least, I think it was him. Does he have funky blond hair? And weird eyes that don't match?"

"That's him." Sarah nodded. _Why would he bring Dad here?_

"Well, he was standing right there." Robert pointed to a spot on the ground just beside Sarah. "And I..."

_"Where the hell am I?" Robert asked the tall blond before him._

_"You must wait here," the blond replied._

_"Why?"_

_"She must find you here."_

_"Who? Who has to find me here?" Robert took a step toward the man._

_"Wait here" was all the man said before he vanished in a burst of glitter._

"There was something in those weird eyes of his," Robert said, staring at a space to Sarah's left, as if the Goblin King were still there. "It made me feel uneasy. They were cold and...cruel."

Sarah watched her father carefully, concern apparent on her face. Was the Goblin King still angry about their previous exchange? This was extreme, even for him. Robert suddenly shifted his eyes over to her.

"We need to get out of here," he said, reaching out to grab her hand.

"Wait!" She stopped him. "I have to wait for my friends." She turned around to look back through the opening. There was nothing behind her but stone wall. "No. No!" She pulled her hand away from her father's and ran to the wall. "That's not fair! Open up! Let them through!" She kicked at the stone and slapped her palms against it until they began to bleed.

"Sarah!" Her father grabbed her shoulders and spun her around to look at him. Tears had begun to roll down her cheeks. "Sarah, honey, we've got to move ahead. We have to save Ellie and Toby and get out of this place."

"My friends..." She looked over at the wall sadly.

"I'm sorry. But we have to go on without them."

Sarah bent down to gather up her bag and her walking stick. Her father wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders and they set off down the dirt path.

…

The throne room was absolute chaos, as per usual. There were goblins hanging from the ceiling, goblins gambling, goblins wrestling, and goblins drinking their weight in alcohol. Their King sat on his throne, tapping his riding crop against his leg, seemingly oblivious to the madness around him.

Fluffy watched the other goblins around her thoughtfully. Fuzz was sitting beside her, waiting patiently for her to say or do something. Finally she stood up and Fuzz followed suit.

"_Evwybody stop!_" Fluffy's shriek echoed through the room. Every creature in the room grew silent and looked at the tiny orange ball of fluff. Some goblins were frozen mid-run; two were so surprised by the outburst that they fell from the ceiling; and one of the goblins that had been lying under the keg sat up, letting the liquid run all over him. Even the Goblin King turned to look at Fluffy, intrigued.

"Good." She nodded her head approvingly as she looked around the room. "I has idea...and you's all gonna help me."

Rather confused and taken aback by the authority that this tiny creature was asserting, the goblins turned to looked at their King. Jareth appeared to be just as surprised as the rest of them.

"Well, go on," he said to them.

Tentatively the goblins gathered in a small group around Fluffy.

"Okays. We's get started now." Fluffy rubbed her paws together, a mischievous glint in her eye.

…

"We have to go in," Sarah said.

"There has to be another way." Her father looked at the stone walls around them.

"This is the only way forward."

They were staring at the entrance to a large tunnel that had been carved into the gray stone. They couldn't see a few inches beyond the opening, it was so dark inside.

"Hold this." Sarah handed her father her stick and slid her bag off her shoulder. She opened it up and dug around inside it for a moment. Eventually she let out a cry of triumph and pulled out a small, sparkling black rock.

"A rock?" Robert stared at his daughter incredulously.

"It's a magical rock," Sarah said, rubbing it back and forth between her palms. "If I could just figure out how to get it started."

Robert watched his daughter pensively. "I still can't believe you came here when you were just fourteen. Does that guy do that often?"

"Do what?" Sarah pulled her palms apart to find that they had healed, but the rock was still just a rock.

"Steal innocent babies and prey on underage girls?" There was an edge to her father's voice that made Sarah look up at him.

"It's not like that," she said defensively.

"Really? Because to me it seems like that guy's a sick pedophile bastard."

"Dad!"

"You're too naïve to see it, Sarah, but that's what he is. I mean _fourteen, _for God's sake! You were just a child!"

"I was more than capable of taking care of myself." She glared at him, holding the rock tightly in one fist. "I _defeated_ him."

"You're lucky you did," Robert said darkly. "I wonder what he does with all of the girls who don't."

"They get sent home."

"Is that what he told you?"

"N...no," she admitted reluctantly, the rock cutting into her skin. "He's not what you think he is though!"

Robert ran a hand through his hair. "Jesus Christ, Sarah. Stealing into the homes of pretty young girls while they're alone? Bringing them to his world and trapping them inside his Labyrinth, that only he knows how to navigate? Do the math."

"He's _not _a pedophile!" Sarah shouted, anger coursing through her. "He only comes when someone says the right words. And that _someone _could be _anyone_. Parents, grandparents, boys, girls-all they have to do is say the words! And he doesn't just take babies. He takes anyone who is wished away, which again, could be parents, grandparents, boys-"

"_Sarah!_" Her father interrupted her, pointing at her hand, fear in his eyes.

She raised up the hand in which she'd been holding the rock. The rock was now gone and her hand was surrounded by fire. She didn't feel it burning though, her hand just felt slightly itchy. She moved her hand around a bit, experimenting with different gestures, but the flame continued burned steadily.

Her father slowly walked closer to her. "Does...does it hurt?"

"No," she said, watching the flames dance.

Robert shook his head. "We need to get out of here before I have a heart attack."

"This way." Sarah picked up her bag and led the way into the tunnel. The firelight danced across the walls, banishing the shadows momentarily as the father and daughter moved forward. They weren't long in the tunnel before they heard tittering.

"There's something in here," Robert whispered.

"Just keep walking," Sarah replied calmly, searching the shadows for signs of movement.

Unbeknownst to the pair, a group of lanky creatures crept around in the darkness behind them.

...

Jareth was sitting cross-legged on a grassy patch in the castle gardens. His eyes were closed and his hands rested firmly on his knees. To those unfamiliar with this pose, it would have appeared that the Goblin King was either sleeping while sitting up, or meditating. In actuality, he was communicating with the Labyrinth.

He had been sitting in the throne room, trying to block out the noise of the goblin choir that Fluffy had started, when something had gently brushed across his mind. It felt much like a telepathic caress but Jareth knew what it really was; the Labyrinth was trying to contact him.

He'd gone out to the garden to escape the out of tune warbling that the goblins were emitting. He'd sat down on a spot of grass beside some rose bushes and assumed the position that he was now in. It had taken a few moments for him to properly clear his mind and establish the connection, but he eventually felt a light tingling sensation in his head.

_Hello, old friend_, he greeted the presence.

_Hello, Jareth, _the spirit's voice was a soft whisper.

_You called?_

_Yes. I have sensed...a disturbance within my stone walls._

_What sort of disturbance?_

_The girl...the Champion._

_What of her? _Jareth's heart quickened.

_Someone wishes to break her._

_Who?_

_I cannot reveal their identity at this moment. _The spirit's voice had an edge to it; it was angered by this fact.

_What have they done to Sarah?_

_They have brought a loved one to her. They have shifted her path. Come see._

In the garden, Jareth fell backwards as if he had fainted. In his mind however, the spirit of the Labyrinth had brought him to the mouth of a large tunnel. There was a veil of silence around them, the only sound coming from Jareth's breathing.

"What is this?" he asked, his voice echoing as if he were in a glass container.

"Their creation." The spirit appeared beside him. It had manifested as a little blond girl with a pale blue dress. "They have changed her path."

"Where is Sarah?"

"Inside...oh!" the spirit cried out in pain and fell to the ground. Jareth quickly dropped to his knees and scooped the girl up in his arms.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

The girl's big brown eyes revealed her struggle with a deep inner pain. "So much sadness. Such heavy grief for such a young girl."

A bloodcurdling scream broke through the silence barrier and made Jareth turn his head toward the tunnel.

"Sarah!" he cried and moved to stand. The spirit grabbed his arm though and he looked back down at it.

"They intend for her to watch him die," the girl said, a tear running down her cheek. "Go to her, Jareth. Please go to her. Stop them. She is my Champion. If she is broken then so shall I be." With that, the spirit faded from his arms and he woke up back in the garden. Jumping to his feet, he vanished in an explosion of blue smoke.

…

At first Sarah thought that she had run into the Fieries again. The creatures before them were tall, lanky, and had tufts of fur sticking off of various portions of their bodies. They were bathed in too much shadow for Sarah to be certain though.

_What would they be doing here? _she thought, furrowing her brow.

Once they stepped into the light however, all doubt was removed from Sarah's mind; these most definitely were not the Fieries. Their fur was a dark black, their eyes blood red, and they had sharp claws where their fingers should have been. They crept closer to Robert and Sarah, pulling back their lips in terrifying smiles that revealed rows of razor-sharp teeth.

"This must be the little lady," one of them, the tallest, spoke.

"The Champion," another added. This one was missing a large chunk of its ear.

"And her daddy," the shortest of them laughed, its voice a rumbling baritone.

Sarah moved protectively in front of her father, narrowing her eyes at the group.

"Stay back," she said in a warning tone.

"Sarah." Robert placed a hand on his daughter's shoulder and tried to pull her back, but she brushed him off.

"Oh, the little lady is trying to protect her daddy. Isn't that cute?" The tall one stepped closer to Sarah.

"Stay _back_," Sarah repeated, striking out with her flaming hand. They all jumped back slightly, cackling manically.

"Get them," the tall one said through its laughter.

All at once the group sprang forward and attacked. One landed on top of Sarah and knocked her to the ground. Another leaped over to her and began pulling at her hair. The others descended upon Robert, pushed him up against the rock wall, and started scratching at his face. He fought back with Sarah's stick, managing to get a few good swings in before they pushed him to the ground, too. His head slammed against the ground and he fell unconscious.

The one on top of Sarah raised up a clawed hand and plunged it into her arm. A loud scream of agony was pushed out of her throat. She lifted her flaming hand up to the creature's neck and grabbed hold of it. It was the creature's turn to cry out in pain, the fire catching on the fur around its face. She moved to sit up but the creature that had been tugging at her hair pulled her back down. One of the creatures that had been attacking Robert ran over to help its burning comrade. It collected a mouthful of spit and expelled it at the fire. The tunnel went black, save for a few cracks in the ceiling that allowed small amounts of daylight to stream though. Everyone was nothing but shadows of varying shapes and sizes.

Sarah looked over at the outline of the creature that had put out the fire. It slowly opened its mouth and closed it around Sarah's wrist, its teeth cutting into her skin. Sarah grunted in pain and felt her fingers unwind themselves from around the smoking creature's neck. The creature behind her had let go of her hair and was now running its claws gently along the top of her head, tracing her scalp. Just as it was about to dig in, Sarah heard it let out a cry of surprise as it was kicked away from her. She saw a shadowy figure reach over to the creature that was chewing on her wrist. The figure wrapped his hands around the top and bottom portions of the creature's mouth and pulled them apart. Sarah heard the _crack _of a breaking jaw. The creature released a scream of rage and agony and fell to the dirt floor. With a _crunch _the creature fell silent.

The creature that Sarah had set aflame charged at the figure. The figure caught it and threw it back against the rock wall and Sarah heard the sickening noise of breaking bones. The figure then bent down to her, his mismatched eyes glowing in the darkness.

"J-Jareth?" Sarah sat up slowly, wincing at the pain the movement caused for her injuries.

"Yes, Precious," he murmured, "it's me."

"Why...look out!" she cried as a tall shadow crept up behind the Goblin King.

The tall one wrapped its arms around Jareth's neck, desiring to strangle him. Jareth stood up, grabbing desperately at the cackling creature.

"Not so tough now, huh, Goblin King?" The creature laughed in his ear.

The creature that Jareth had kicked away from Sarah earlier appeared on the scene. He leaped up out of the dark and slashed at Jareth's side. The Goblin King cried out and fell to his knees. Sarah pulled herself to her feet and rushed over, hardly wincing at the pain it caused her. She reached out and began pulling at the fur of the creature on the Goblin King's back, trying to get it off him. Jareth focused his energy and vanished from the scene for a moment. His disappearance caused both the creature and Sarah to tumble to the ground.

When he reappeared a few feet away, he spotted Sarah on the ground, one of the creatures straddling her stomach and holding down her arms. The other creature was making his way to her head.

"Yummy, yummy. The brain of the Champion," the creature sang as he brushed Sarah's hair away from her face.

Jareth conjured up a crystal and threw it at the creature at her head. The hard ball knocked the creature away from Sarah before sending violent volts of electricity through its body. The tunnel was lit up with a blue-white light and filled with echoing shrieks. The light soon went out and took the piercing noise with it.

The sound of whimpering brought Jareth's attention back to Sarah. The creature straddling her had dug the claws on its feet into her thighs to keep her from kicking them about. The claws on its hands were stuck in her arms, still pinning them to the ground, and it was using its teeth to cut along her forehead. The Goblin King, fire in his eyes, flicked his wrist and the creature immediately disappeared. The passion of fury and adrenaline of triumph raced through his veins, his expression was hard and fierce. His whole body slowed and softened though when he saw Sarah struggling to stand. He went to her side and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her to him. She fought against him and he looked down at her, confused. Her gaze was fixed elsewhere, toward one side of the tunnel.

_They have brought a loved one to her._ The words echoed in Jareth's mind and his heart suddenly felt heavier. Who was this loved one? Neither Sarah nor Ellie had mentioned a beau in Sarah's life. He banished these thoughts, instead focusing on lifting Sarah up in his arms.

"No, no." She shook her head. "I want to walk. I need to get to him. Let me go. I want to walk."

"Sarah, you are injured," he argued. "I doubt you can stand, let alone walk."

"I need to get to him!" she screamed, pushing at the Goblin King's face.

Jareth frowned but set her on her feet, a little bit roughly. She trembled slightly from the pain but began to hobble forward. When she reached the body lying against the stone wall, she fell to her knees. Jareth heard her whispering but was too far away to make out what she was saying.

"I need my bag," she said loudly, her voice shaky. She turned to look expectantly at Jareth, her eyes glistening. She angrily brushed the tears off her face and pointed toward the center of the tunnel. "Please." Jareth nodded and flicked his wrist. A satchel of some sort slowly glided over to Sarah. She snatched it out of the air without another word and briskly rifled through it.

"There's another one in here." She sniffed. "I know there is. I saw it. I-"

"What is it you need, Precious?" Jareth asked. His arms itched to scoop her up again and hold her, whether she wanted him to or not, but he remained in place.

There was a pause as if she were trying to compose herself.

"Light," she whispered.

"Then you will have it." Jareth moved to kneel beside her. He placed one hand on her shoulder and the other on the arm of the body. In a moment they were out under the gray expanse of clouds that drifted over the Labyrinth. He had transported them to a spot just outside the opposite end of the tunnel.

Jareth looked down at Sarah when he heard her sharp inhalation of breath. She was staring at the wounded body of an older man. A line of blood trickled from the top of the man's head where a bruise was forming, and he had a few scratches marring his face. However, it was the deep hole above the man's heart that Sarah was looking at.

"Dad..." Sarah whispered and ran her fingers along the side of the man's face. The man remained unmoving.

Jareth allowed relief to wash over him for a brief moment; this man was her father and not a lover! His relief was quickly replaced with grief though as he watched Sarah's face contort in anguish. Most of her hair had fallen out of its bun and she moved it to shield her tears from Jareth.

"We must bring him to the castle," Jareth said, reaching out to once more transport the group.

Sarah moved out of his reach and shook her head. A familiar coldness was settling inside her shaking frame. "No," she said. "We don't have to."

She raised her hands above the body and closed her eyes. Jareth squatted down next to her, watching her carefully. She placed her hands on the man's head. Her brow knitted together in concentration and she shifted her hands slightly. Jareth watched in amazement as the wounds closed up beneath her hands.

After his face was healed, she slid her hands down to his chest. She bit her lower lip and covered the wound with her hands, the blood seeping out between her fingers. She pushed down slightly but nothing happened.

Jareth was startled when he suddenly felt the presence of the spirit of the Labyrinth nearby. He looked up to find a ghostly vision of the young blond girl he'd seen before. She knelt down on the other side of the body and carefully laid her hands on top of Sarah's. He heard Sarah gasp but her hands remained on her father. Slowly but surely the wound bubbled closed. The spirit pulled its hands away and, with a parting smile to Jareth, it faded away.

Sarah's eyes flew open and she pulled her bloodied hands off of her father. She shivered slightly and looked over at Jareth with wide eyes.

"I see you've garnered a few new talents since your return," Jareth said, breaking the silence that had fallen.

Sarah merely nodded, her expression and eyes unreadable. She turned her attention to her bag and pulled out a medical supplies kit. Out of the kit she retrieved a glass bottle of water and a white cloth. She pulled the cork out of the bottle and poured some of the water onto the cloth. She brought the wet cloth up to her father's face and began washing it clear of blood, then moved onto cleaning his chest. When she finished, she placed the cloth on the ground and looked over at Jareth.

"Will you take him home now?" Her voice was so quiet, Jareth almost missed what she had asked.

"Of course." He nodded. "But you must wish for it, Precious."

"Oh, um, I wish that the Goblin King would take my father back home...right now."

"That will do." He nodded again, a small smile tugging at his lips. Sarah looked down at her bottle, a frown upon her face. His smiled disappeared.

_She's upset with me,_ he thought as he grabbed her father's arm. _But why? I just saved her life!_

"Do not leave this place," he said, hoping to gain her attention. "I must speak with you when I return."

Earning no response from the girl, Jareth turned his gaze from her to the man. He conjured up a crystal, threw it into the air, and they disappeared in a flash of light.

Sarah reached out to grab the med kit. She cried out in pain as the movement reminded her of her wounds. With a sigh, she healed herself and cleaned off the remaining blood. In doing this process, she noted that the cold transfer of energy was not present when she healed herself, but only when she healed another.

When she had finished cleaning herself up, she returned everything to her bag. She paused and then looked down at the ground around her. Something was missing.

"My stick," she said when the realization came to her. She grabbed another black rock from her bag, focused her energy, and it ignited into a glorious blaze. She smirked at the flames—she was getting better at this. She carefully picked up her bag and put it over her shoulder.

She would speak with Jareth, alright; she had a few choice words that she wanted to say to him anyway. But he was going to have to find her first.

_It would be beneficial to have my stick in hand when he returns, _she thought with a sadistic smile. She rose to her feet and made her way back into the tunnel.

**Author's Note: **Well, what do you all think? Leave me a review and I'll send you your very own "Fire Rock!" :D


	13. Robert's Return

**Chapter 13: Robert's Return**

_Disclaimer: I do not own _Labyrinth.

**Author's Note:** Thank you for the kind reviews, you all are fabulous rock stars! Have a wonderful and safe New Year's!

Night had spread across the skies over the tiny suburban neighborhood. Yellow light poured from the windows of each house, revealing the activities of their inhabitants. In one such house, a woman appeared to have just arrived home.

Karen was in the process of placing her car keys and purse on a small table beside the front door. With a heavy sigh she pushed some stray hair away from her face. She made her way over to the staircase and began to ascend to the second floor of the house. A loud _thump _was heard upon her arrival to the upstairs. It was the sort of noise that she had been used to with Merlin, their old sheep dog, who constantly knocked things over. However, Merlin had passed away last year and the family had not gotten another animal.

"Hello?" she called out. "Robert?"

She didn't remember seeing the other car in the driveway. If it wasn't Robert then that could only mean...

Karen ran to Sarah's room as fast as she could. She swung open the door only to be faced with an empty room. Perhaps they were in Toby's room! The sting of tears prickled Karen's eyes but she refused to give up hope until she saw...Toby's empty room. Blinking away the tears, she slowly made her way to her own bedroom.

…

While Karen was running about the house, the Goblin King was busy trying to put her husband on their bed. Though Jareth was not weak, Robert was not exactly the lightest man; Jareth lost his grip on the body and the poor unconscious man went tumbling to the floor. In the shuffle, Jareth's partially-healed wounds were reopened and he groaned softly in pain.

"Hello?" A woman's voice rang out from down the hallway. "Robert?"

_Damn! _That had to be Sarah's mother (or _step_-mother, as Sarah used to frequently remind all who made the mistake of referring to Karen as her "mother.") She would shortly be coming to the bedroom. That meant Jareth had a limited amount of time to get Robert on the bed, and changed out of his blood-stained clothing, before he himself would have to disappear. He ignored his bleeding wounds, knowing that he wouldn't have time to heal them.

Reluctantly admitting that he'd lost this battle of strength, Jareth flicked his wrist and Robert slowly rose into the air. Strategically moving his gloved fingers, Jareth slid the body onto the bed. Once that task had been accomplished, the Goblin King snapped his fingers and Robert's torn clothing was replaced with mint-green striped pajamas. Just as the bedroom door began to ease open, Jareth conjured up a crystal, threw it into the air and disappeared in a flash of white light.

Karen cautiously walked into the room, turned on the light, and stopped when she saw Robert lying on the bed. Was he here to make amends? A few steps forward put her at his side where she sat on the edge of the bed. Gently she traced the lines on his face with her fingers. A groan escaped from his lips and his eyes slowly opened. His eyes locked upon Karen's and the two stared at each other for a moment.

"Karen," Robert whispered, pulling his wife onto the bed and into his embrace. The two wept together until they fell asleep within each others arms.

…

After he had completed healing himself and changing out of his battle-torn clothing, Jareth returned to the spot just outside the tunnel where he had last left Sarah...only to find her nowhere around. He passed a hand down his face and growled in frustration. With a wave of his hand he produced a crystal to show him where the missing brunette had run off to. He nearly dropped the crystal when he saw nothing but darkness inside the sparkling sphere. What had happened while he'd been away?

Slowly the realization came to him and, wide-eyed, he turned his gaze in the direction of the dark tunnel.

_She wouldn't have... _Jareth rolled his eyes with a sigh. _Of course she would._

Tossing the crystal over his shoulder, he vanished in a cloud of glitter.

When he reappeared in the tunnel, Jareth had been expecting to find Sarah sitting on the ground, weeping, or at least in a place where he could easily locate her. He was most definitely not expecting a hard and painful blow to the head that would cause him to fall unconscious.


	14. You Got Some 'Splainin' To Do

**Chapter 14: You Got Some 'Splainin' to Do**

_Disclaimer: I do not own _Labyrinth.

Sarah stared at the dancing flames before her, their reflection giving her emerald eyes an ethereal glow. Her fingers played with the hem of the soft blue sweater that she wore. She heard movement coming from across the fire, alerting her that her prisoner was conscious. Picking up her stick she moved cautiously to where he lay.

"My head," the Goblin King moaned as his eyes slowly opened. He tried to sit up but found something hindering his ability to move. Wordlessly, Sarah came to his side and helped him (more like _forced _him) into a sitting position. That was when he noticed the golden ropes that were wound tightly around his wrists and ankles.

"Don't bother trying to get rid of the ropes," Sarah said, standing up. "They're magic-proof. A gift from the Sisters of Aine."

"Of course they are," Jareth muttered; he made a mental note to have a discussion with the girls about giving 'gifts' to his runners. Then, with a wicked smile, he said, "If you had wanted me tied up, Precious, all you had to do was ask."

"_Don't_, Goblin King," she raised her stick in warning. "You're here because I have some questions that only you can answer. Trust me, if there were any other creature I could talk to, I would."

Jareth shrugged. "What do you need to know?"

"Why did you bring my father here?"

"_I _didn't. Someone else decided to break into my Labyrinth and toy with you."

Sarah scoffed. "What a lie! Just like the bird! Do you ever own up to _anything_? I _know _you brought him here—he told me himself. You took him from his room and brought him to the Underground._ Without _just cause, I might add."

"Wha-"

She began to pace in front of him. "But _why _did you do it? Was it to 'toy' with me for your own amusement? Was it to keep me from getting any further in the Labyrinth? Or was it something more twisted?" She came to his side and abruptly dropped to her knees. "Did you plot all of this out of resentment for my rejection of you all those years ago?"

Jareth opened his mouth to respond but was cut off by Sarah once more.

"Yes, _rejection_. I knew exactly what you were offering me in the Escher room, Goblin King." Her expression softened slightly. "I was just a child, Jareth. As dramatic and romantic as I was, the things you were saying...they scared me. I'd been through so much to get my brother...I just wanted to go home. Can't you understand that?"

That was the first time she'd called him by his name. He longed to reach out and touch her, but before he could shift his bound hands over to her, she jumped up and resumed her pacing.

"Was this all a plan to prove to me that you're the hero to my damsel in distress? Were you hoping to come to my rescue, save me from the vicious monsters, and comfort me in the wake of my father's death? Did you dream that I would rush into your arms, profess my undying love to you for saving me, and beg you to forgive me for my mistake of rejecting you before? Was that the point of having the bird lead me to the poisoned food?" She was shaking with anger now. "That's disgusting, Goblin King! Those are the sick fantasies of an emotionally disturbed sixteen year old boy. I..." Her voice broke and she quickly spun away from him. He heard her draw in a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself.

"Sarah," he said, staring at her back, "do you truly believe that I would wish you such harm?"

She pressed her back against the rock wall and sighed. "I don't know." She looked down at him. "Should I?"

"Believe what you will." Jareth shrugged. "You will anyway, you insufferably stubborn girl."

Sarah couldn't help but chuckle at that. "Finally, a truth from the King of the Goblins." She quickly sobered up though. "Tell me another."

"I have had many a dream of how I would punish you for...destroying my Labyrinth." He looked up at her, the sincerity in his eyes unmistakable. "But I would never have brought your father here and harmed him to fulfill that dream." He turned his head away from her and rested his eyes upon the fire, his lips twisted into a smirk. "That's much too dramatic."

Sarah gave a gasp of faux surprise. "Something is too dramatic for the glitter-loving, flashy cape-wearing Goblin King? It _must _be the sign of the Apocalypse."

"You sound like Eliana." His smirk grew into a complete smile. "Just as annoying as well."

Sarah laughed. "How is she?"

Jareth's smile vanished. "She is...well. She had created a goblin choir just before the spirit..."

"Before what spirit?" Sarah pushed herself away from the wall.

Jareth's brow furrowed but he remained silent. Sarah dropped to her knees once more, grabbing his chin and forcing him to look at her.

"Tell me, Jareth," she demanded.

Jareth narrowed his eyes. "Untie me first."

"No way." She let go of his face and sat back on her heels.

"Then you shall not receive any more answers from me. I am a king, not a dog, and I demand to be treated as such."

Sarah stared at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Fine," she sighed and flicked her wrist. The ropes fell away from Jareth's limbs and disappeared. Shaking blood back into his hands and feet, he stood up.

"You're improving quickly, Precious," Jareth praised. "Well done."

"You know about my powers," she stated with a nod.

"Of course."

"Where did they come from?"

"I'm surprised, Sarah. I would have thought that you would have figured that out by now. Where do you think they came from?"

"Don't play games, Jareth." Sarah stood.

Jareth watched her for a moment, his expression unreadable. "They came from the Labyrinth, of course."

"What do you mean?"

"When you declared that I had no power over you, you thereby declared that the _Labyrinth_ held no power over you; as the ruler of it, I am thus connected to it." He paused and walked around the fire.

Sarah waited in patient silence for him to continue, her eyes never leaving him.

He stopped walking, the fire now separating him from Sarah. "Since the Labyrinth had been asserting its power over you while you were running through it, this statement forcefully broke the hold it had on you and therefore tore it apart."

Sarah knitted her brow. "But if you are connected to the Labyrinth, then shouldn't the words have destroyed you, too?"

"I am still ruler of it," he said proudly. His expression then shifted and his eyes grew sad. "But it did destroy me for some time...not in the way that you may think..."

Their eyes locked for a long moment until Sarah turned away; the look in his eyes tore at her heart. She busied herself by making a big show of setting her stick on the ground. She walked over to another section of the tunnel, the darkness enveloping her for a moment. When she returned she was carrying an armful of black fur, red blood and sickly yellow bones.

Jareth's eyes widened. "Is that...?"

"Yes." Sarah nodded. "This is the last of them." She tossed the mass onto the fire and the flames leaped up, roaring. "I didn't want to take any chances."

Jareth studied her carefully, as if he'd never truly seen her before that moment. The way she held herself, the richer color of her eyes, even the way she spoke—it was all new. He knew that she would be changed by this second run through the Labyrinth, but he'd never imagined it would be to this extent.

"How does the destruction of the Labyrinth relate to my new powers?" Sarah crossed her arms.

"'Tis the power of words, Precious." He smirked at her confusion. "Surely you of all people would understand that." He walked around the fire toward her, shadow and light dancing across his features. When he reached her he bent down to whisper into her ear, "Think, Sarah. Remember that moment."

Sarah shivered slightly and did not meet his eyes. Her brow furrowed as she attempted to focus on her memory and not his warm breath on her neck. She spoke slowly, piecing together all the new information she'd learned, "I-I said, 'You have no power over me.' And...because you're connected to the Labyrinth, I also said this to the Labyrinth itself. Th-the...um..."

He hooked a finger under her chin and roughly lifted her face up, her lips inches from his. "The _force_..."

Her body began to heat up, pleading to be allowed closer to his. She abruptly turned her head away and closed her eyes, silently cursing her hormones. "Yes, um...the force of the statement destroyed the Labyrinth, but...but it did something else too."

"Yes?" Jareth trailed a gloved finger down her arm, all the way to her hand.

Sarah's eyes suddenly widened in understanding. "Power...power! The Labyrinth _had_ power and then I destroyed the Labyrinth, so that power was...given to me?" She spun around to look at Jareth for confirmation, her eyes alight with wonder. He smirked and gave a slight nod.

"So...I have the Labyrinth's power, which means that...I don't have to run!"

"Not quite, Precious." He grinned wickedly, only too pleased to pop her proverbial bubble. "You only have the power of the previous Labyrinth. You are also still bound by the rules, power or no. If you want your friends returned to you, you still must complete _this_ Labyrinth."

Sarah surprised Jareth by actually pouting. "Well, did I get some of your power?"

He frowned. "'_But what they didn't know was that the King of the Goblins had_...'" he paused, unsure of whether he should recite the next piece. He decided to do a bit of editing: "...granted the girl certain powers..."

Red slowly began to stain Sarah's cheeks. "_Aside_ from that, I mean."

He shrugged. "I suppose one could say that, but really it was a collection of power from various Underground beings that contributed to its creation."

"Am I more powerful than you?"

A peculiar expression flashed across his face. "No. All you can do are mere parlor tricks compared to my magic." It wasn't a complete lie; at the moment all she really could do was small things. However, she was quickly improving and it wouldn't be long before she could do things most magical beings only dreamed of. _She doesn't need to know that just yet, _Jareth thought, remembering the High King's plan.

Sarah glared at him. "Parlor tricks?" She then shrugged and casually walked away from him. "I took you down in less than five minutes, oh Powerful One."

Jareth narrowed his eyes at her. "Luck was merely on your side at that moment. I promise you, it won't happen again. Also, it wasn't very gracious of you to attack me like that after I'd saved your life."

"I thought it was all a part of your plan!" Sarah placed her hands on her hips. "Besides, I think you need a little whack on the head every now and again. It puts a much-needed dent in that humongous ego of yours." She smiled at him charmingly, complete with batting eyelashes.

"Oh, you Precious Thing," Jareth sneered. "Very well, if you aren't willing to give me a proper expression of your gratitude, then I do not have to be willing to answer any more of your questions."

Sarah's jaw dropped. "You cannot be serious."

"The choice is yours, Sarah."

She desired only to run over to the Goblin King and beat that smug look off of his face. However, that was not exactly an option since she needed him to supply her with more explanations. She stared at him thoughtfully for a moment before sighing loudly. Jareth watched her with great interest, keeping his signature smirk upon his face.

"Fine," she said, walking over to him. "Thank you for helping me to defeat those...things. And for bringing my dad home. I really am grateful." She gave him a small smile.

It wasn't exactly what Jareth had been hoping for (there was much less kissing, tears, and scandalous touching) but it was sincere and kind, which were things he hardly ever received from Sarah. "You are welcome, Precious."

"Can I continue with my questions now?" she huffed, immediately switching back into her distrustful and annoyed demeanor.

"Ask and you shall receive," Jareth replied with a smirk.

Sarah stared at the ground, contemplating everything that she'd learned so far. "If _you_ didn't bring my father to the Underground then who did?"

"That I do not know." He frowned. "They disguised themselves completely. Not even the Labyrinth can see who they are."

They both became lost in their own thoughts for a moment. The only sound in the tunnel was the crackle of the fire.

Sarah broke the silence, "What were those creatures?"

"Dorchae. They are cousins to the Fieries," Jareth explained. "I would never place them in my Labyrinth—they are far too dangerous."

Sarah raised an eyebrow, slightly incredulous. "I thought danger was the point to your Labyrinth."

"Not danger that I cannot control. Dorchae do not take commands."

"But...it seemed as though they were waiting for my dad and I, as if on orders. Whoever brought my dad here must have put them here and told them to wait."

"They would not have had to order them to wait; the Dorchae are patient predators. The being that brought them here would have known this. They most likely _informed_ the Dorchae that you and your father were on the way, knowing that the Dorchae would _choose _to wait for you."

"So this was all a plot to _kill _me? Why did they need to bring my father into this?"

Jareth was silent for a moment, thinking back to his conversation with the spirit of the Labyrinth. "I do not believe that they wished to kill _you_," he said, watching her reaction carefully. "I believe they wanted you to watch your _father_ die."

Sarah's head began to spin and her body felt heavy. "Wh-what would that have accomplished?" She struggled to keep her voice even.

"It would have made you easier to control. And what a prize you would be—a Champion of the Labyrinth with your strength and abilities." Jareth's jaw clenched and it was all he could do not to slam his fist against the rock wall.

Sarah sat down, fearing that she would fall over if she didn't. Her hair fell in her face, shielding her expression. "Didn't they know that you'd find out?" she asked softly, feeling rather like a small child.

"I believe they were counting on it. They must have assumed that the Dorchae would have killed your father right off—him being the weaker of you two—and then I would appear to prevent them from harming you."

Sarah chewed on her lip. "Why did you help me?"

Jareth stared at her for a moment. "There is so much you don't—you _refuse _to—understand about me, Precious."

The intensity of his gaze made Sarah shift around uncomfortably. She quickly changed the subject, "Well, why do you think the Dorchae waited to kill Dad?"

"They were most likely distracted." Jareth chuckled and turned his gaze to the fire, "You must have given them quite a fight."

She smiled brightly. "I like to think so. Why wasn't my power factored into the evil plot to, um, _break _me?"

He looked back over at her, amused. "Probably because you're just a chit of a girl."

Sarah brushed some of the hair away from her face and stared directly at him, clearly _un_amused.

He laughed, "Merely joking, Precious."

"My victory must have surprised them." Sarah looked down at her stick, which she had laid across her lap, and smiled.

"I think you mean _our _victory, Precious, but I'm sure it did. You are always rather full of surprises, Sarah." Jareth walked over to her, his boots hardly making a sound on the soft earth floor. She lifted her head to look up at him and the two of them searched each others faces, unsure of exactly what they were searching for. Sarah's brow knitted suddenly and she frowned.

"What is it?" Jareth asked, confused at her expression.

"Kneel down," she said. He obliged, keeping his eyes on hers, but her green eyes were focused on his forehead. She cautiously raised a hand to his face and paused. He leaned forward slightly, wordlessly telling her to go on. She tentatively pushed some of his silky golden hair away and touched a spot at his hairline. Pain rang out through his brain and he winced.

"Stay still," she whispered, setting her stick off to the side. She slowly rose to her feet and pushed up the sleeves of her sweater. Reaching a hand under his chin, she gently tilted his face upward. She then placed her other hand over the bruise that she had touched earlier and closed her eyes. A peaceful calm settled over her features and Jareth felt the pain in his head slowly ebb away. After a few moments Sarah's eyes flew open and she moved them down to meet his. She moved her hand away from his forehead but did not remove it from his face. Instead she trailed her fingers down his cheek, across his jaw, and then up to his lips. She ran her index finger agonizingly slow across his lower lip. He reached up and took her hand. Pressing the back of it to his lips, he stood up. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he pulled her hand away. She cocked her head to the side and matched the smile.

"What?" she asked.

"I do have the ability to heal as well, you know," he said.

A deep crimson spread across her cheeks. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"Where would the fun have been in that?"

**Author's Note: **Jareth needs to be tossed around a bit every now and then, don't you think? Please be supermegafoxyawesomehot rockstars and review!


	15. Falling

**Chapter 15: Falling**

_Disclaimer: I do not own _Labyrinth (_that belongs to Jim Henson), nor do I own Plaksy (she belongs to the Polish)_.

**Author's Note: **Thank you for the wonderful reviews *hugs*-they keep me going :D

"You're such a—oh!" Sarah's legs gave out from under her. Her head suddenly felt very light, as if it were full of air and in danger of floating away; her body was the heavy anchor weighing it down. Jareth caught her and helped her sit down, propping her back up against the side of the tunnel.

"I don't feel...right..." Sarah's eyelids began to droop.

Jareth chuckled. "You used quite a bit of magic today; your body is not used to the drain of energy that it causes." He leaned in closer and whispered seductively, "You need to build up your stamina."

Sarah raised an eyebrow. "And you have such stamina?"

"Oh yes, Precious." He smirked, planting a gentle kiss on her jawline. "It would leave you breathless and exhausted, trying to keep up with me."

"Oh yeah," she replied, rolling her eyes, "I don't know how I'd keep up with all of that crystal conjuring and glitter poofing."

Jareth nipped at her ear playfully. "I'll have you know those crystals conserve energy. They ensure that I can go much longer than if I were directly using my magic."

"And the glitter?"

"Personal preference."

Sarah yawned around a chuckle. "Will you hand me my bag?"

Jareth flicked his wrist and the bag flew around the fire and into his hand. He carefully placed it in her lap and she began to rifle through its contents. She eventually pulled out a small pillow and a knitted blanket. Placing the bag aside, she set up a makeshift bed on the tunnel floor and lay down. Jareth sat by her head and began stroking her hair. Just as he thought she had drifted off, she said his name.

"Yes, Precious?" He looked down at her.

"Do you think that person-or whatever it was-that brought the Dorchae here...do you think they'll be back?"

"I have no doubt that they will," he replied, nearly growling the words.

She was silent for a moment before she said, "Well I'll be ready for them."

He smiled. "Don't worry about them, Precious. You still have a Labyrinth to complete."

There was a another silence.

"Well?" she asked. "Aren't you going to give me some ominous warning, or tell me that I'll never pass the last task?"

"Would you listen?"

She shook her head, smiling. "Not at all."

He chuckled. "Sleep now, Precious."

She yawned. "Goodnight, Goblin King."

"Goodnight, Sarah." His chuckled echoed through the tunnel as he faded from view.

…

There was a new creature sitting in the King's lap. It looked about as big as Fuzz but lacked his fur. It appeared to be eating its thumb while watching the chaos of the room with wide eyes. Fluffy scurried over to the throne and climbed up the arm. She looked at the creature closely, sniffing the air around it.

With a deep inhale, she opened her mouth and cried, "Kingy! Kingy! Kingy! Kingy! Kingy! Kingy! Kingy! King-"

"What. Is it. Fluffy?" Jareth said through gritted teeth, his eyes covered by one gloved hand.

"You gots a thingy in your lap!" She pointed at the tiny creature.

"I am aware of this."

"What's it?"

Jareth removed his hand from his face and looked at Fluffy with an unreadable expression. "It's a little human boy. His name is Toby."

"T-oh-bee," Fluffy repeated softly, her eyes filled with wonder. "T-oh-bee play game?"

"I don't know." Jareth leaned down to speak to the little boy, "Toby, would you like to play a game with Fluffy?"

Toby looked over at the orange ball of fluff. She waved at him enthusiastically and the movement caused her to fall backward off the throne. Toby pulled his thumb out of his mouth and laughed. He looked back at Jareth and nodded. Jareth smiled and set the boy down on the floor. Fluffy shook off the dizziness that her fall had caused and moved over to Toby.

"Does you wants you play 'hides-n-Fuzz looks'?" Fluffy leaned in closer to Toby and whispered, "Fuzz is the worst looker ever."

Toby snickered and nodded his head. Fluffy spun around and called out, "_Fuzz! Fuzz! Fuzz! Fuzz! Fuzz! Fuuuuuzzzzzzzzz_-"

"What does Fluffy want?" Fuzz waddled over to the pair rather grumpily. He'd been upset with Fluffy ever since the first (and only, if the Goblin King had anything to do about it) goblin choir rehearsal; she had told him that having him stand next to her all the time was annoying. They'd been in the middle of rehearsal and Fuzz had been standing proudly next to Fluffy as she conducted the rest of the goblins. She'd stopped the group in the middle of a song, turned to him, and started yelling at him. It was embarrassing but it had mostly just hurt Fuzz's heart; did Fluffy think that he was annoying altogether?

"Why's you so grumpy?" Fluffy asked, tilting her head to the side.

"Fuzz is not grumpy!" he replied defensively.

"You's so! But _why_?"

Fuzz sighed and looked down at the floor. "Fluffy yelled at Fuzz. Told Fuzz he was annoying. That hurt Fuzz's feelings."

Fluffy blinked and then ran at Fuzz, hug-tackling him. Fuzz let out a cry of surprise but wrapped his tiny arms around her.

"I is sorry," Fluffy said. She turned her head slightly and planted a kiss on his fuzzy black cheek. She then pulled away from the shocked Fuzz and smiled at him.

"We's gonna play 'hides-n-Fuzz looks' with T-oh-bee!" She jumped up and down excitedly. "Count to a bazillion." With that she motioned for Toby to follow her, and the two of them ran out of the throne room.

Fuzz watched them go, his violet eyes wide, a big grin spreading across his face. He slowly put his paws over his eyes and began counting, his cheek still warm from the kiss.

...

_There must be something wrong with me_, Sarah thought. She had spent a greater part of the morning replaying the events of the previous evening over and over in her mind. Her skin still tingled whenever she ran through a memory of Jareth touching her. She groaned and splashed some water on her face.

She'd managed to find a river and- -taking care to make certain that no one was around or in it—had bathed in it. She'd dressed herself in a simple brown dress and put her still-damp hair up in a bun. After eating a little snack, she had allowed herself a few moments to rest and think.

Thinking had been a bad idea however, since all she could think about was Jareth.

_He's taken my friends, made me run this Labyrinth (which has threatened my life on multiple occasions), and sent a raging mutant anteater after me. _She laid down on her back, parallel to the river. _He's the villain...right? _Groaning once more, she pulled herself to her feet. She needed to start walking again or she'd never reach the castle in time.

"That's his trick, Sarah," she murmured to herself. "He's trying to distract you. You have to _focus_."

She nodded at this statement, picked up her bag and her stick, and set off down the dirt path. It was on her third step that the ground disappeared from under her, and she was sent falling down a long dirt hole. Rocks, dirt and roots were thrown at her face and scratched at her body. The twists and turns of the hole spun her around until she was falling backwards and headfirst. She clutched at the dirt walls, hoping to stop herself, but the soil just fell away in her hands. Before long she found herself landing roughly on a patch of soft, wet grass.

Her hair had fallen out of its bun and was now sticking to her face and spread out on the grass. The covering of trees above her was so thick that she couldn't see the sky, and they were...moving? Sarah quickly got to her feet, inhaling sharply at the pain this caused. She held up her arms and found long red scratches tattooed on her pale white skin; the same was true for her legs.

She looked around for a place to sit and heal herself. She found a large mossy rock nearby. Walking cautiously over to it—the last thing she needed was to fall through another hole—she sat down upon it.

"_Get off me_!" the rock hissed. Sarah immediately jumped up and stared down at the rock. It began moving and unfolded to reveal a green-skinned woman. Her dark brown hair framed her face in messy curls, leaves sticking out in various places. Her green skin was covered in a long gray dress with moss hanging off both her dress and her skin. She was much shorter than Sarah and much thinner. Her face was long with hollow cheeks, her skin unmarred by blemishes. But it was her eyes that unnerved Sarah—they glowed a vibrant red.

"I-I'm sorry," Sarah said, staring down into the woman's eyes.

The woman smiled but it looked more hungry than friendly. "It is quite alright, child." Her voice was low and raspy. "I sense a great power about you. Are you the Champion?"

"Y-yes."

"My name is Plaksy. What brings you to my glen?" She stepped forward.

"I fell." Sarah stepped backward.

"How interesting." The woman's eyes flickered down to Sarah's arms. She reached out and gently took one of them in her soft green hands...and then roughly pulled Sarah down to her level. Sarah fell to the ground with a surprised "oh!"

Inspecting Sarah's arm, she said, "But you are hurt. You must come to my cabin and I shall heal you."

"That is very kind of you, but I can-"

"Hush." Plaksy placed a finger on Sarah's lips. "It would be a great honor to aid you, the Champion. Would you deny me the privilege?"

Sarah shook her head slowly.

"Good." Plaksy smiled and took Sarah's hand in her own. She led her through the maze of trees silently, bringing her into a small clearing with a tiny wood cabin in the center of it. Smoke billowed out of a chimney in the roof, floating upward and disappearing before it reached the tree canopy. A soft blue glow came from the windows as if someone had left a television on inside. Sarah doubted that Plaksy had a TV. She tried to pull away slightly but the small green woman held tightly onto her hand. They soon reached the front door and Plaksy pushed it open, guiding Sarah inside.

There was a damp, earthy smell to the place. A blue fire flickered in the fireplace, casting dancing shadows upon the walls.

"Lie down on the bed," Plaksy ordered, pointing to a small cot beside the fire. She busied herself with gathering materials from various shelves that lined the walls. Sarah slowly moved over to the cot, watching the blue flames crackle and pop. She carefully stretched herself out on top of the bed, the blankets caressing her skin where they brushed against her. She laid her head against the pillow, which sank down to comfortably encompass her head.

Plaksy soon came over, bottles and jars in her arms. She set to work mixing things from the glass containers into a wooden bowl that sat on a chair near the cot.

"I'd heard tell of your return," Plasky said, dropping a yellow powder into the bowl. "I was so hoping that you might _drop _by." She laughed at her pun. "Of course Jareth remained silent on the subject when I inquired about you."

Sarah perked up at the name. "You know the Goblin King?"

Plasky laughed again. "Of course I know Jareth. He _is_ King of this Labyrinth. I am so not secluded in my little glen that I do not keep in contact with the rest of the Underground."

"I-I didn't mean-"

"He often comes to visit me." There was something in Plasky's voice that made Sarah uneasy. "That is, when that little blonde Fae isn't around..."

"What blonde?"

"There!" She threw a purple flower into the bowl. She then stood up, a rather malicious smile on her face, picked up the bowl, and tossed the contents onto the fire. The fire roared and turned a brilliant shade of purple then settled back down.

"Wh-what was that for?" Sarah asked, staring at the fire.

"Hush, child." Plaksy sat down on the edge of the cot. "Just relax and breathe. Breathe _deeply_."

Sarah suddenly began to feel very tired. "I-I need to get back to the Labyrinth. I...must...finish..." She moved to sit up but Plaksy pushed her back down. The green woman reached out and began to stroke Sarah's cheek. Sarah wanted to turn away but her body refused to obey her. The last thing she saw before she slipped into the dark was Plaksy's red eyes.

**Author's Note: **Review and I'll make sure that Plaksy doesn't come into your room tonight! *Gets out mace*


	16. Terrors On the Inside

**Chapter 16: Terrors On the Inside**

_Disclaimer: I do not own _Labyrinth.

**Author's Note: **ZOHMYGOD! FINALLY! After about 4 months of not even thinking about this story, and about 2 months of coming back to it and editing the shit out of it, I have finally posted a new chapter. Can we please have a dance party? :D Thank you for your patience and all-around loveliness, readers! This story wouldn't be happening without ya.

_Running. Running. I have to keep running. _Sarah willed her legs to move faster as she raced along the shoreline. She stumbled a few times, her feet getting buried in the sand. Not once did she look over her shoulder to see what she was running from, she just kept moving forward as fast as she could. _Toby, Toby. I'm coming!_

Her mind recognized the shifting scenery around her as the Labyrinth though it looked nothing like anything she'd encountered within the stone maze. Currently she was running down a beach at sunset. Sometimes it would be the hallways of her high school, sometimes the park she used to give impromptu performances in, sometimes her home, sometimes just a blur of colors. Each area came with a surge of memories and dug up certain emotions in Sarah but never did she stop running. Through flooding in the park, in the darkness of her home, past the groups of zombie students at school who tried to feast on her flesh, she kept racing forward. Under her breath she murmured the same name over and over again: Toby.

"Agh!" She cried out as her feet landed on broken pieces of seashells. They lacerated her skin, causing her to leave bloody footprints in the sand. _Keep running. No time. Save Toby. _Seaweed scurried forward and wrapped itself around her legs, pulling her down into the sand. She clawed at the wet pieces of plant but she could not tear them off her—they just kept growing back. It dragged her down to the water-sand flying everywhere around her—and pulled her under. She thrashed about, trying to return to the surface, but the more she struggled the tighter the seaweed held her.

And suddenly she stopped; stopped fighting, stopped trying to run, stopped mouthing her little brother's name.

A disembodied voice whispered from the darkness around her, "_You can't always save him. You have things to do. You must go._"

_No! He needs me. I lost him once. It was a mistake. I won't ever let him go again._

"_But it's time to let go, Sarah._"

The seaweed slowly unwrapped itself from around her and she floated up. She broke through the surface, gasping for air. Not three feet from her was a small rowboat with her father and Karen inside.

"Give me your hand, Sarah," Karen said, extending her own hand.

"Come home with us," her father placed his hands on Karen's shoulders.

_Home. I want to go home. _Her head shook of its own accord, and out of her mouth came words spoken in the same voice she'd heard underwater: "_I can't. I need to go._"

She continued to float up into the air, the boat quickly turning into nothing but a speck in the middle of the vast ocean. Tears began to run down her face but her expression was blank. She found herself coming to rest upon a white cloud that was itchy against her skin. Shifting around uncomfortably, Sarah looked at the other clouds around her. Not very far from where she was were her friends—Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus on one cloud, Ellie on another holding a black furry goblin.

"Who do you want, Sarah?" Ellie asked.

_All of you! I love all of you!_ Sarah screamed in her mind. She tried to verbalize these thoughts but sound refused to come out of her mouth.

"The time's comin' when you's gonna hafta choose," Hoggle spoke up.

_No, I don't! I'm going to be with all of you, no matter what. _She remained silent though.

"Ludo always here, Sawah." Ludo looked at her with sad eyes.

"My brother speaks true words, Lady Sarah." Sir Didymus nodded. "We hath been with you for quite some time. Remember this in your choosing."

"But, Sarah," Ellie said with a grim smile, "they're not real. I am. You can't stay in your little imaginary world forever. It's time to grow up with me." She held out her arms-the little goblin in her hands-and let go of it.

Sarah quickly moved to the edge of her cloud. _No! _She looked up at her friends, her eyes shifting between them. _How am I supposed to choose?_ Without a word she let herself roll off the cloud, believing that she would tumble back down into the ocean. However, she was caught by an unseen force and pulled up, away from her friends. They became nothing but specks, just as her parents had.

It wasn't long before she floated out of the atmosphere and into the darkness of space. The darkness was held at bay by a large collection of tiny stars. She was placed on her feet upon the grouping of stars. _What am I supposed to do now?_

"_Come to me_," a familiar voice echoed through the stillness. A tune that had haunted many of Sarah's dreams began to play...something she had danced to long ago with a man made of diamonds and the nightmares of children. It was faint and distant but she heard it nonetheless. She cautiously took a step into the dark space before her. The stars immediately flew to catch her foot and light the way.

Heart beating fast, Sarah moved forward toward the source of the music. She walked past massive planets and astroid fields, past black holes and suns, until she felt as though she couldn't move another step—not because she was tired but because her legs simply refused to go any farther. He appeared before her, just as dark, handsome and intimidating as he had been when he'd first taken her brother. He held out a hand to her, his eyes gleaming in challenge. "Shall we, Precious?"

Nodding she took his hand firmly and he pulled her into his arms. One of his arms held her tightly against him while the other held her hand up off to the side. She gripped his shoulder a bit more strongly than was necessary but he only smirked. The music continued playing but he did not sing, did not try to entrance her; this dance was more a battle than a seduction.

He lead the dance at first, merely spinning her about, but soon Sarah took charge and led them around the starlit walkway. Suddenly, she stopped and dropped her arms limply. His brow furrowed in confusion. "What's wrong, Sarah?"

"I can't be here," the foreign voice returned, forcing the words out of her mouth. "I need to go. I have things to do."

He frowned and pulled his arms away, his eyes holding such sorrow that it broke Sarah's heart. "Do what you must, Precious."

_No, no, no! _Sarah's mind cried. Her face remained neutral though and she stepped around the Goblin King, not looking back. _Turn around! Go back! Please, please! _Her body did not respond, it merely continued moving ahead, ignoring the thick streams of tears that flowed down her face.

…

Outside the cabin a cloaked figure moved silently between the trees. The figure approached the door to the wood structure and raised a fist, knocking firmly but quickly. It looked around nervously behind it while waiting for a response. Soon enough the door was yanked open and revealed a small woman who did not look pleased in the slightest.

"Who dares disturb the silence of my glen?" she demanded.

The figure cleared its throat. "I have heard tell that you are harboring the Champion. Is this true?"

The woman eyed the figure. "Perhaps...what is it you want from her?"

The figure removed the hood of its cloak as if that would answer all. The small woman's eyes widened slightly in recognition but appeared unimpressed. With a sigh she motioned the figure inside.

"I assume you are aware of what is happening, then?" Plaksy closed the door as the figure entered.

The figure nodded. "I do. The King did not inform me however, I have heard many stories about you. I knew what you would be doing with the Champion as soon as I heard she was here."

"If the King did not tell you, that must mean he doesn't know that you are here. Why have you come?"

The figure moved toward the place where the Champion lay. "I believe that Jareth has not been as ruthless with her as he should have been. In fact I would go so far as to say he has offered his heart to her once more. This simply will not do. I have come to you to ask that you release all that is in your power upon this girl."

This statement made Plaksy's jaw drop and her stomach growl. "All of it?"

The figure came to stop at the head of Sarah's cot and looked down upon her sleeping form. "All of it."

Plaksy was thoughtful for a moment and then smiled wickedly. "Well, how can I refuse to oblige such a royal Fae as yourself? I suppose you have enough ruling power to make such an order." She curtsied and rushed to Sarah's side. "Though I don't think you understand what you've ordered." Her eyes wandered over Sarah hungrily. She crawled up onto the cot and settled herself upon Sarah's chest.

"I understand completely." The figure knelt down, petting Sarah's hair. "Take care, Champion."

…

"Sssss," Sarah hissed. "Sssstt...sssttoo..." She sounded like a child trying to sound out a difficult word in a book. "Sssssttooop! Sstop! Stop!" The word was screamed over and over until her legs finally obeyed. "Con...control. I have...control. I'll do what I want." Slowly turning around, Sarah began to walk back the path she had just come. The walk soon transformed into a run as she spotted the black, glittery form of the Goblin King. He seemed surprised to see her again. She ran right up to him, a triumphant smile on her lips.

"Sarah?" He reached out to stroke her cheek.

"I'm here." She grasped his hand within her own, pressing it more firmly to her face. "I'm staying. With Toby, Ellie, Hoggle, Ludo, Sir Didymus, Mom, Dad...and you."

He pulled his hand away from her. "You can't, Sarah. You must go. It is your time."

"No!" she cried, shaking her head violently. "No! No! I'm needed here, so I'm going to stay."

Staring at her thoughtfully, he said slowly, "Is that your final decision?"

"Yes," she replied decisively.

"Then you will not leave." He smiled, revealing his sharp canines in a predatory manner. Sarah smiled back uneasily.

"We're so glad you're staying with us, Sarah," Karen spoke from behind her. She turned around to find all her friends and family gathered in a tight pack on the starlit pathway.

"How could I possibly leave you all? I love you."

"We love you too, Sarah," they responded in unison. They began to move forward as one unit, their arms outstretched. Sarah's heart began to quicken and she inched backward; something wasn't right about this. She felt her back press against a warm body. Black gloved hands came to rest upon her shoulders, holding her in place.

"Don't be nervous, Precious," he murmured in her ear. "You said you wanted to help us. We are simply taking you up on your _generous_ offer." He chuckled darkly and her loved ones descended upon her.

…

"I knew it wouldn't take you long to find out what I've done," the cloaked figure said, "but there's nothing you can do now. I've given the order. What's said is said, and what's done is done."

"How dare you interfere!" Jareth shouted.

"How dare you favor a runner! It is your duty as-"

"It is not your place to tell me what my duties are. This is not your kingdom. You have no power-"

"_Yet_. Do you not see this ring, Jareth?" The blonde woman held up her left hand. "Have you forgotten your promise to me so soon?"

The Goblin King narrowed his eyes. "Perhaps it is not that I've forgotten but rather changed my mind." Orla could not hide the heartbreak in her eyes, but she kept a fierce expression upon her face.

Jareth threw his hands up in exasperation. "I almost had her. She had no control over her actions. She was going to walk right out of the Labyrinth. She was going to lose!" He moved over to Sarah's bedside. "Now she is dying."

The Elven Queen furrowed her brow. "What do you mean?"

"Do you not know what Plaksy is?"

"Of course I do. She is a Nocnitsa, a bringer of nightmares."

Jareth marched up to Orla, his eyes full of rage. "You stupid woman! Plaksy does not merely bring nightmares, she feeds off a being's life force—you've offered her all of Sarah! Now she is going to gorge herself until there is nothing left. And there's nothing either of us can do."

Orla's eyes widened. "No."

"_Yes!_" Jareth screamed.

Orla looked at Sarah, fear and sorrow written upon her features. "Jareth, I never meant..."

"Get. Out." he growled from between his teeth. "Get out now or Sarah will not be the only one to die today."

Fighting back tears, Orla whispered an apology before vanishing. Jareth did not watch her leave, he was too occupied with watching Sarah. He took Orla's original position at the head of the cot and murmured in Sarah's ear, "Please fight, Precious. Fight them. I know you can." He waved a hand in the air and a crystal appeared in his palm, playing Sarah's nightmare in its center. Jareth did not once remove his eyes from the orb, did not even blink.

Meanwhile, on top of Sarah, Plasky grinned and wiggled around excitedly. She was taller and stouter than she'd been when Sarah had first encountered her. Quietly, she spoke: "It is almost complete."

**PLEASE REVIEW!**** ^_^**


	17. Better and Worse

**Chapter 17: Better and Worse**

_Disclaimer: I do not own _Labyrinth.

**Author's Note: **I just wanted to give a special "thank you" to Koneko156, Lady Knight Jocelyn, and DragonRose4 for the kind reviews—as long as you are enjoying the story, I shall keep writing it. :) Alice Althea – You are completely right; "ravishing" can mean "extremely beautiful." However, it can also mean "to rape" (though I don't know how nonconsensual the sex would have been on Ellie's part...), which is pretty ironic considering that in many stories the "ravishing maiden" is usually the one to be "ravished."

With every breath she took, Sarah felt weaker. She tried to push Karen away from her neck but she could barely lift her arm. She could see a faint blue smoke coming off her skin that her loved ones appeared to be inhaling through their mouths. They tried to get as close to her as possible without actually touching her. Sarah began to wish they were touching her; a feeling of loneliness was overpowering her fatigue and she desperately craved solid contact.

"P-please...hold m-my hand," she begged her father in a hoarse whisper. Robert did not even look at her, he just continued to devour the smoke floating up from her arm. Sarah closed her eyes, too tired to even look sad about the fact that her father hadn't responded. When she opened her eyes again she found herself having to squint against a bright light hovering directly above her face. The light skittered back and forth, seeming unsure of where it should go.

"Hey, lit...little s-star," Sarah croaked, smiling the smallest of smiles. The star stopped moving and appeared to be almost looking at her. It cautiously flew forward until it ran into the tip of her nose, then it zipped back to its original position above her. They watched each other in silence for a moment, the star and Sarah. Finally the star quickly flew off into the dark...only to come right back and look at Sarah expectantly.

"I...I can't m-move," she explained sadly.

The star sighed soundlessly and rather impatiently. It flew down to her hand and tapped on it. With all the strength she had left, Sarah turned her hand palm-up and lifted it slightly. The star settled down into her palm and then waited.

"No," Sarah said, "I c-can't leave th-them."

The star made a movement that reminded Sarah of an eye-roll. It rolled over her fingers, tapping once on each of them before returning to the center of her hand. The darkness of space seemed to be closing in on Sarah, her vision became blurry. She could feel the star frantically bouncing around on her hand, but still she did not comply. It was not until she had almost entirely succumb to the darkness that her fingers folded themselves loosely over the tiny star.

_It's time to go, Sarah._

…

Jareth threw the crystal across the room as soon as it went black. It shattered against one of the walls, leaving a small field of clear jagged pieces on the floor. He jumped to his feet and his hands immediately found their way to Plasky's neck. The large green woman did not even seem to see the Goblin King though—her red eyes were glazed over and her gray tongue lolled out of her mouth. Jareth began cursing in languages that had been dead for centuries in the Aboveground. He tried to lift the portly woman off of Sarah but her mass made her nearly immovable.

Eventually he gave up on trying to attack the woman atop Sarah and began tugging on the Champion herself.

"You can't do this! I forbid it. Sarah! You can't," he shouted angrily in her face, clawing at her shoulders. "It isn't fair!"

Before he could speak another word, he was thrown back from the cot.

"It isn't...but that's the way it is."

The voice sounded foreign yet he knew it better than his own; it both relieved him and set him on edge. He watched as Sarah tossed Plaksy's off her as if the woman weighed no more than a small cat. She shot up, swinging her legs over the edge of the cot, and then knelt down beside the fallen Plaksy. Grabbing the front of the woman's dress, Sarah pulled her up so that they were face-to-face. The jaws of both women dropped and a blue light escaped from Plaksy's open mouth and eyes, immediately moving into Sarah's own body. A bloodcurdling shriek filled the house as Plaksy's body approached an emaciated state. The nocnitsa was soon nothing more than a pile of skin and bones. When the last of the light had left Plaksy's body, Sarah tossed the corpse aside. She then merely sat there, staring at the wall opposite her.

Jareth cautiously rose to his feet and moved toward Sarah. When he was close enough, he reached out to touch her shoulder. "Sarah...?"

Her head snapped around to face him and she slapped his hand away. "Do not _dare _approach me, Goblin King. I'm going to finish your Labyrinth, earn my friends back, and then we are leaving. Do not _ever _venture to contact me or any of my friends and family again..." She grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him down closer to her and growled in his face, "...or I _will _kill you." Releasing him, she stood up and walked out of the cabin. The broken pieces of glass that Jareth had left earlier burst into flames and quickly began to spread.

Jareth stood in the middle of the burning cabin until he could stand the heat and smoke no longer. With a sweep of his arm the fire was dispersed and he vanished.

"What has become of you, Precious?" a disembodied voice echoed behind Sarah. She heard nothing.

…

"What do you think it means?"

"I...I think it means Sarah's in danger."

Robert had just finished telling Karen about meeting Sarah in the Labyrinth. He'd told her it was a dream but now he wasn't so certain. Karen stood up and walked over to the bedroom door.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"To get some more information on this 'Goblin King' and his 'Labyrinth.'"

Robert sighed and buried his face in his hands.

"One more thing, Robert," Karen said, pausing in the doorway.

"What?"

"Where's your car?"

…

"She's quickly reaching her full potential, King Jareth." The High King spoke from his throne.

"I know."

"It would appear that she is rather angry with you." There was a hint of joy in his voice.

"I know," Jareth spoke through his teeth.

"She's going to defeat you."

"I know."

…

Sarah reached the Castle Beyond just ten minutes before her time ran out, a trail of fire blazing behind her. When she reached the throne room, Jareth was waiting for her, seated upon his throne. His position wasn't the usual casual leg-slung-over-the-arm; he sat up straight, one leg propped up on the other, his arms crossed, looking down his nose. They stared at each other for a moment, emerald fire meeting blue ice and brown earth.

"Well?" the Goblin King asked.

"I have come for the child, for Eliana, for Hoggle, Ludo, Sir Didymus, Ambrosius and Lehtor," she spoke slowly, her voice still low and echoing in that strange manner he had heard before. "I demand you release them all. You must return Toby, Eliana and I to the Aboveground and never contact us again. You must return the rest to their respective homes throughout the Labyrinth and never harm any of them."

Jareth made a noise that sounded almost like a laugh. "That is quite an order. However, I am only required to fulfill the very first part; yourself, Toby and Eliana will be returned to the Aboveground. If I am called upon by any of you, I shall reappear to fulfill my duty as the King of the Goblins and Keeper of the Labyrinth." He stood up and began to move toward her. "As for the rest of your friends, they are my subjects and I shall deal with them as I see fit." He circled around her. "And they have been so very naughty. Yes, I believe I shall have to find a suitable punishment for them all. One they are not likely to forget for the rest of their miserable lives..."

The fire around Sarah shot up a foot in height. Jareth moved smoothly away to avoid being burned. "Are you deaf? Blind? Or merely stupid? I will-"

"Now, now, precious thing." He held up a hand to stop her. "There's no need to resort to violence yet. I am generous and shall offer you a chance to save the pathetic creatures you so adore."

The flames settled slightly. "What is your offer?"

Jareth straightened up. "Become my queen."

The flames disappeared. "...what?"

"Become Queen of the Goblins, stay in the Underground, and I shall allow your friends to go free."

"Very clever, King Jareth," a new voice said, "but I'm afraid I cannot allow such a marriage."

Sarah spun around to face a tall, handsome man with graying hair and elaborate clothing.

"Who are you?" she asked.

The man looked at Jareth expectantly.

"Sarah, this the High King Cian, Ruler of the Underground, and Protector of All Creatures," he gritted out. "Your Majesty, may I introduce Sarah Williams of the Aboveground, Champion of the Labyrinth."

"It is an honor, Your Highness." Sarah curtsied, her voice more natural than before though it had a slight edge to it. "May I ask what has brought you here?"

"The Goblin King's proposal," the High King replied, leveling a look at Jareth. "He knows very well that you two may not be wed."

"Why not?"

The High King held his hands behind his back and began to pace. "You are aware of your powers, correct, Champion Sarah?"

"Yes."

"The answer to your question lies there; it would be unjust for only one kingdom to hold such power. A young woman with powers such as yours should belong to all kingdoms."

"What do you mean 'belong?'" Sarah asked slowly.

The High King stopped pacing and turned to face her. "Sarah of the Aboveground, Champion of the Labyrinth, the Monarch Alliance of the Underground wishes for you to become the High Queen and rule over all of the Underground."

Sirens went off in Sarah's head at the word 'Alliance.' Her thoughts drifted to the Sisters of Aine. _Don't trust him, _a voice warned in her head, sounding very similar to Eolande. She looked over at Jareth, trying to gage what he was thinking but he wouldn't look at her. He had wandered over to a window and was staring out it, his face completely turned away from her view. But what did she care what he thought?

"I do appreciate your generous offer, Your Highness, but I cannot accept. I have completed the Labyrinth for the second and final time. All I want now is to collect my friends and return home to the Aboveground."

A malevolent glint came to the High King's eyes and Sarah's hands twitched, ready to fight if necessary. "I am sorry to hear that, Champion Sarah. King Jareth, would you bring forth the Champion's friends?"

Without turning his head from the window, Jareth waved a hand in the air, and suddenly all of Sarah's friends were standing before her. She did not run to them though, did not gather them in her arms or even say "hello." The only thing she could bring herself to do was look at them, and even that was difficult for her. Lehtor, Sir Didymus and Ambrosius were closest to her and dripping water all over the stone floor. Toby sat next to them, clutching a furry orange goblin to his chest and looking confusedly and disappointedly at his surroundings. But the sight that was most horrific to her stood beside her young brother. Hoggle and Ludo were covered in deep wounds and blood, making soft whimpering noises and trembling violently.

"Where-" she swallowed, trying to steady her voice. "Where is Ellie?"

"She is the obnoxiously cheerful little ball of orange fluff," Jareth spoke, turning his head slightly so his profile was visible. "She answers to the name 'Fluffy' now."

"Hihihihi, Lady!" The goblin waved at Sarah. Sarah turned her gaze back to Hoggle and Ludo who looked back at her with tears filling their eyes.

"You _bastard_!" she screamed, running at the Goblin King. Just as she was about to grab him, her body was pulled backward by an unseen force, much like the one in her dream. She was turned around to face the High King, who was holding out his hand to her.

"Become High Queen, Sarah," he said, "and you can deal with him as you please. You can help your friends, keep them safe."

"Let me go!" She struggled to break away from the force still holding her. "I just want to go home."

"Look at your friends, Sarah." He made circles with his hand and she was spun around. She closed her eyes only to have them forced open a moment later. "Do you truly love them? Or are you selfish enough to leave them in this state?"

She ran her eyes back and forth across the line of loved ones before her. When she spoke her voice came out low and broken, "Alright. I'll marry you."


End file.
